Red Bull KTM is certainly going to miss Ryan Dungey, but during Saturday’s FMF Glen Helen National, round two of the 2017 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, it appeared as though Marvin Musquin is up to the task of keeping the Orange Brigade in the hunt for another 450cc National title.
The Frenchman scored his first career 450cc overall win in the series at Glen Helen Raceway while Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Zach Osborne used consistency to back up his opening round overall win to go two for two in the 250cc class.
450cc
Musquin was strong right from the start of the first 450cc moto when he grabbed the holeshot to lead the field through turn one. Team Honda HRC’s Cole Seely and Christian Craig both got off the gate well to run in second and third respectively with Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Josh Grant fourth. Last week’s winner, Eli Tomac, suffered a poor start and found himself mired in traffic outside the top 10.
Musquin quickly went to work and put daylight between himself and Seely as Grant, who clearly favors outdoor racing over Supercross, moved past Craig and into third place on lap one, and he passed Seely for second place on lap six. Meanwhile, Tomac continued to pass his way to the front, and he put away Seely and Craig before making a banzai move on Grant for second place on lap 13.
But Musquin was able to take full advantage of the pressure-free lead he enjoyed throughout the moto, and he crossed the finish line a comfortable 5.8 seconds. Grant came home third.
Craig managed to get a near-perfect start to lead 450cc Moto 2, followed by RMATV/MC-WPS-KTM’s Blake Baggett, RCH/Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing’s Justin Bogle, and Autotrader/Monster Energy/Suzuki/JGRMX’s Justin Barcia. Grant got away in fifth, but Musquin and Tomac were farther down in the field.
The moto turned sour on the Monster Energy Kawasaki team, starting with Grant, who crashed on the first lap. As Grant tried to remount, Tomac came around, bobbled and went off the track. As Tomac tried to get going again, it was clear that his front wheel was locked up. Tomac limped back to the pits where
Baggett stalked Craig for a few laps before making a move into the lead on lap four. Then, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Jason Anderson also moved up and passed Craig for second place. Anderson followed Baggett for a couple laps before moving into the lead on lap six. Two laps later, Craig crashed and Musquin inherited third place.
That set the field for the rest of the moto, with Anderson taking the win 5.1 seconds ahead of Baggett while Musquin came through third to net the overall win via 1-3 finishes. Musquin became the 65th different winner in the class.
“I’m just trying to be smooth and safe, but fast at the same time,” Musquin said. “At a track like this today it’s really easy to make mistakes. It may not have looked like I was out of control, but I was nervous out there and trying to keep it on two wheels. To come out of Glen Helen with a win is really good. We also have the points lead, so I’m just going to keep trying to be consistent and not make any mistakes.”
Musquin’s win, combined with Tomac’s ninth-place finish, moves the Frenchman into the series points lead were he holds a 15-point advantage over Tomac.
Anderson’s 5-1 moto pairing was good enough for second overall. Baggett’s 8-2 scores were good enough for third overall (5-1) for his sixth career podium result, while Baggett earned his fourth career podium finish in third (8-2).
250cc
GEICO Honda’s Jeremy Martin bolted into the lead when the first 250cc moto got underway, and he led Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Joey Savatgy and CycleTrader/Rock River Yamaha’s Bradley Taft along with the rest of the field through turn one. Martin set fast pace while Savatgy continued to hold down second place.
Taft, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Austin Forkner and Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha’s Colt Nichols battled for third, with Nichols taking over third place. Forkner then suffered a mechanical failure that put him out of the race on lap six, allowing Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha’s Aaron Plessinger to assume fifth place after charging his way up from seventh, but Osborne was hot on his heels after starting 13th. Plessinger and Osborne reeled-in Nichols during the second half of the moto, with Plessinger nailing down third place on lap 11. Osborne followed Plessinger into fourth.
Martin crossed the finish line to claim his first moto win of the year with 9.1 seconds in hand over Savatgy.
Martin appeared to be on a roll as he pulled another holeshot in Moto 2, but it didn’t last as he crashed on his own at the base of Mt. Saint Helen. When he got back underway, he was at the rear of the field.
Osborne took over the lead, but Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha’s Dylan Ferrandis passed him to take control of the race before the start of lap two. Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo slotted into third, and the front three would go on to run comfortably in their respective positions throughout the moto.
Martin charged hard for the rest of the race, coming from 34th place to 22nd place on lap one, and he back in the top 15 within the first four laps. He was into the top by lap 10.
Up front, Ferrandis continued to lead the race, followed by Osborne, Cianciarulo, Savatgy and Nichols, but Martin’s frantic charge brought them into view as the race neared its completion. Then it was Savatgy’s turn to suffer bike problems just as his teammate Forkner had in Moto 1. Savatgy’s exit was just what Martin needed to salvage an overall podium finish.
Ferrandis dominated the moto, finishing over 23 seconds ahead of Osborne, whose Osborne’s 4-2 finishes netted his second overall win in as many rounds of the series. Martin’s 1-7 outing left him second overall, while Ferrandis’ 9-1 day finishes cemented third overall.
“I woke up feeling under the weather a bit today,” Osborne said. “I had a sore throat from allergies, so [I] was a little nervous because this isn’t one of my best tracks. To come away with another win is just icing on the cake. I just need to keep putting myself in a position to win and keep getting better. I’m happy to come out of California with strong results and I’m looking forward to heading east where I feel more comfortable.”
Osborne now enjoys a 21-point lead in the 250cc series standings over Cianciarulo, who finished fourth via 7-3 moto finishes. Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM’s Alex Martin, who finished sixth with 6-5 performances is third, 23 points out of the lead.
The 2017 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship continues next Saturday, June 3, at Thunder Valley Motocross Park in Lakewood, Colorado.
2017 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship
FMF Glen Helen National
Glen Helen Raceway
San Bernardino, California
Results: May 27, 2017 (Round 2 of 12)
450cc Overall
1. Marvin Musquin, France, KTM (1-3)
2. Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Husqvarna (5-1)
3. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., KTM (8-2)
4. Dean Wilson, Glasgow, Scotland, Husqvarna (6-7)
5. Weston Peick, Wildomar, Calif., Suzuki (9-6)
6. Cole Seely, Newbury Park, Calif., Honda (7-8)
7. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Suzuki (14-4)
8. Justin Bogle, Cushing, Okla., Suzuki (12-5)
9. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki (2-19)
10. Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Kawasaki (3-28)
2017 Lucas Oil 450cc Pro Motocross Championship Series Standings (after 2 of 12 rounds)
1. Marvin Musquin, France, KTM – 89
2. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki – 74
3. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., KTM – 63
4. Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Kawasaki – 60
5. Dean Wilson, Glasgow, Scotland, Husqvarna – 58
6. Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Husqvarna – 56
7. Cole Seely, Newbury Park, Calif., Honda – 54
8. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Suzuki – 53
9. Justin Bogle, Cushing, Okla., Suzuki – 49
10. Weston Peick, Wildomar, Calif., Suzuki – 46
250cc Overall
1. Zach Osborne, Abingdon, Va., Husqvarna (4-2)
2. Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Honda (1-7)
3. Dylan Ferrandis, Avignon, France, Yamaha (9-1)
4. Adam Cianciarulo, Port Orange, Fla., Kawasaki (7-3)
5. Colt Nichols, Muskogee, Okla., Yamaha (5-4)
6. Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., KTM (6-5)
7. Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, Yamaha (3-13)
8. Michael Mosiman, Sebastapol, Calif., Husqvarna (8-10)
9. Joey Savatgy, Thomasville, Ga., Kawasaki (2-29)
10. Mitchell Harrison, Brighton, Mich., Yamaha (13-8)
2017 Lucas Oil 250cc Pro Motocross Championship Series Standings (after 2 of 12 rounds)
1. Zach Osborne, Abingdon, Va., Husqvarna – 90
2. Adam Cianciarulo, Port Orange, Fla., Kawasaki – 69
3. Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., KTM – 67
4. Colt Nichols, Muskogee, Okla., Yamaha – 65
5. Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, Yamaha – 64
6. Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Honda – 59
7. Joey Savatgy, Thomasville, Ga., Kawasaki – 50
8. Austin Forkner, Richards, Mo., Kawasaki – 47
9. Mitchell Harrison, Brighton, Mich., Yamaha – 43
10. Michael Mosiman, Sebastapol, Calif., Husqvarna – 40
11. Sean Cantrell, Newbury Park, Calif., KTM – 40
Your Privacy Choices