RISULTATI NAZIONAL TOYOTA THUNDER VALLEY
Il resiliente Roczen prevale per conquistare la prima vittoria stagionale del campionato Lucas Oil Pro Motocross a Thunder Valley
Jett Lawrence si affida alla costanza per conquistare la terza consecutiva vittoria di classe 250
Le temperature più alte della stagione finora, combinate con oltre 6.000 piedi di dislivello al Thunder Valley Motocross Park, hanno rappresentato una vera sfida per i migliori piloti del mondo al terzo round del 50° anniversario del Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sancito da AMA Pro Racing. Con l’indice di calore in bilico a metà degli anni ’90, la Toyota Thunder Valley National è diventata una battaglia di resistenza in entrambe le classi poiché il Team Honda HRC ha vinto per la seconda volta in questa stagione, dove Ken Roczen ha prevalso nella classe 450 e Jett Lawrence ha corso per la terza vittoria consecutiva nella Classe 250.
Classe 450
Moto 1
La prima discesa del cancello del pomeriggio è iniziata con Antonio Cairoli della Red Bull KTM Factory Racing in testa alla MotoSport.com Holeshot, con Roczen all’inseguimento. I due ex campioni del mondo si sono dati battaglia per tutto il primo giro dove Roczen è stato in grado di effettuare il sorpasso e di aprire un varco. Dietro di loro, Justin Barcia di Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GASGAS Factory Racing si è piazzato terzo, appena davanti a Jason Anderson di Monster Energy Kawasaki e Chase Sexton del Team Honda HRC, i due vincitori assoluti della stagione.
Un ritmo torrido nelle prime fasi della manche ha permesso a Roczen di stabilire un vantaggio di quasi tre secondi, mentre i restanti primi sono impegnati in una battaglia multi-pilota che ha visto Barcia passare al secondo posto e far scendere Cairoli al terzo. Anderson è arrivato terzo subito dopo. Cairoli ha continuato a perdere posizioni e presto è uscito dai primi cinque. In prima fila, la battaglia per il secondo posto si è intensificata tra Barcia, Anderson ed Eli Tomac di Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing, originario del Colorado. Anderson ha effettuato un sorpasso impressionante per prendere il controllo del secondo poco prima di metà percorso e Tomac alla fine ha aggirato Barcia per il terzo posto diversi giri dopo.
Quando la manche è entrata nei suoi ultimi 10 minuti, la battaglia per il secondo posto si è accesa tra Anderson e Tomac. Il pilota Yamaha si è avventato alla prima occasione e ha superato, portando Tomac a poco più di cinque secondi da Roczen a otto minuti dalla fine. Con il supporto del pubblico di casa Tomac è andato all’attacco e ha cancellato il deficit nel giro di un paio di giri. Una volta che si è avvicinato al parafango posteriore di Roczen, Tomac ha premuto il grilletto su un passaggio e ha superato la Honda con facilità, per la gioia dei fan presenti.
Roczen ha mantenuto Tomac per un paio di giri dopo aver perso il comando, ma il pilota Yamaha è stato troppo coerente e si è allontanato nelle fasi finali. Tomac ha ottenuto la sua seconda vittoria consecutiva in moto di 3,1 secondi su Roczen, seguito da Anderson al terzo posto. Sexton ha concluso al quarto posto, mentre Cairoli è arrivato forte per rivendicare il quinto.
Moto 2
La seconda manche della classe regina è iniziata con un altro Holeshot di MotoSport.com per Cairoli, il suo terzo consecutivo, ma è stato subito superato da Roczen, che ha abbassato il martello ed è scattato via per stabilire un vantaggio iniziale di 3,5 secondi nel primo giro. Cairoli è stato costretto a respingere la forte pressione di Anderson, mentre Tomac si è fatto strada fino al quarto posto, appena davanti a Sexton.
Nella sua ricerca di Cairoli, Anderson è caduto dopo che la sua gomma posteriore è uscita da un solco. È stato in grado di rimontare, ma è caduto appena fuori dalla top 10. La sfortuna di Anderson ha giocato a favore di Tomac, che è salito al terzo posto, ma Sexton ha superato il vincitore della Moto 1 per prendere il controllo della posizione. Sia Sexton che Tomac hanno continuato a spingere il ritmo, il che ha permesso al duo di chiudere al secondo posto su Cairoli e di fare con successo i rispettivi sorpassi per far cadere l’italiano dal podio della manche.
Quando la manche ha raggiunto il punto intermedio, Roczen è riuscito a ottenere un vantaggio di quasi quattro secondi, ma Sexton era in carica ed è stato in grado di portare il suo compagno di squadra nel mirino. A 13 minuti dalla fine Sexton è stato in grado di far sembrare facile il passaggio per il comando e ha rapidamente messo una certa distanza su Roczen, poiché Tomac ha seguito diversi secondi dietro al terzo posto.
Man mano che il tempo continuava a scorrere, lo slancio sembrava spostarsi a favore di Tomac quando iniziò a correre i suoi giri più veloci della moto nei minuti calanti. Meno di tre secondi hanno separato i primi tre a cinque minuti dalla fine poiché Tomac è rimasto il pilota più veloce in pista. Nonostante il ritmo migliore, Tomac non è stato in grado di effettuare alcun tentativo di passaggio poiché l’abilità difensiva di Roczen ha tenuto a bada la Yamaha. I rivali di lunga data hanno messo in scena uno spettacolo mentre continuavano a battersi, il che ha permesso a Sexton di correre via.
Sexton aveva la vittoria in mano, con un vantaggio di oltre cinque secondi, ma è caduto nell’ultimo giro a poche curve dalla fine. Ciò ha consegnato il comando a Roczen, la cui lotta per respingere Tomac ha dato i suoi frutti con la sua prima vittoria in moto della stagione. Il tedesco ha tagliato il traguardo con 5,1 secondi di vantaggio su Sexton, che ha rimontato velocemente abbastanza da perdere solo un posto, con Tomac terzo.
OVERALL
In virtù della sua inaspettata vittoria in manche, Roczen è balzato in cima alla classifica generale, dove i suoi 2-1 in manche sono stati sufficienti per dargli la 21a vittoria della sua carriera e la sua quinta vittoria a Thunder Valley, dove è emerso anche trionfante un anno fa. Tomac ha ottenuto un secondo posto nella sua gara di casa (1-3), mentre il risultato di Sexton nella manche finale lo ha portato al terzo posto assoluto (4-2).
Con il suo terzo podio assoluto in altrettante gare in questa stagione, Sexton ha mantenuto il comando del campionato. Attualmente detiene un vantaggio di cinque punti su Roczen, che ha guadagnato sette punti, mentre Tomac è passato al terzo posto, a 14 punti da Sexton.
Ken Roczen, Team Honda HRC
“Si tratta di essere implacabili. Noi (Tomac e io) abbiamo avuto la più grande battaglia in corso. Semplicemente non volevo arrendermi. Voglio solo migliorare ogni fine settimana ed è quello che abbiamo fatto. È un peccato che Chase sia caduto così, ma lo prenderò. Sono così entusiasta in questo momento.
Eli Tomac, Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing
“È stato molto divertente correre. Eravamo così vicini così tante volte lì. Ho dato tutto me stesso. È sempre divertente correre con Ken (Roczen). Gareggia molto pulito e lo rende molto più divertente. È un peccato che ci siamo persi nella classifica generale, ma sono comunque contento del risultato di oggi”.
Chase Sexton, Team Honda HRC
“Non so cosa dire. Sono entrato nella curva e ho preso uno swing con la parte posteriore e il solco. È stato un errore costoso e dobbiamo assicurarci che non accada di nuovo”.
Nazionale di Thunder Valley – Classe 450
Parco motocross Thunder Valley – Lakewood, CO
Il Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship viaggerà per la prima volta verso est il prossimo fine settimana con la tradizione della festa del papà dal famoso High Point Raceway della Pennsylvania e il quarto round della stagione del 50° anniversario. L’High Point National inizierà sabato 18 giugno e sarà caratterizzato da una copertura live completa su MAVTV Motorsports Network, a partire dalle trasmissioni delle prime manche della Classe 250 e della Classe 450 alle 10:00 PT / 13:00. ET, seguita dalla copertura della seconda manche di entrambe le divisioni alle 12:00. PT / 15:00 et.
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TOYOTA THUNDER VALLEY NATIONAL RESULTS
Resilient Roczen Prevails to Capture First Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship Victory of Season at Thunder Valley
Jett Lawrence Relies on Consistency to Capture Third Straight
250 Class Win
The highest temperatures of the season thus far, combined with more than 6,000 feet of elevation at Thunder Valley Motocross Park, provided a true challenge for the world’s best riders at the third round of the 50th Anniversary of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing. With the heat index hovering in the mid-90’s, the Toyota Thunder Valley National became a battle of endurance across both classes as Team Honda HRC swept the overall wins for the second time this season, where Ken Roczen prevailed in the 450 Class and Jett Lawrence raced to a third straight victory in the 250 Class.
450 Class
Moto 1
The first gate drop of the afternoon got underway with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli leading the way with the MotoSport.com Holeshot, with Roczen in close pursuit. The two former World Champions duked it out throughout the opening lap where Roczen was able to make the pass and open a gap. Behind them, Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GASGAS Factory Racing’s Justin Barcia settled into third, just ahead of Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jason Anderson and Team Honda HRC’s Chase Sexton, the season’s two overall winners.
A torrid pace in the early stages of the moto allowed Roczen to establish a lead of nearly three seconds, while the remaining front runners engaged in a multi-rider battle that saw Barcia move into second and drop Cairoli to third. Anderson followed through into third soon after. Cairoli continued to lose positions and soon fell outside the top five. Back out front, the battle for second intensified between Barcia, Anderson and Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing’s Eli Tomac, a Colorado native. Anderson made an impressive pass to take control of second just before the halfway point and Tomac eventually got around Barcia for third several laps later.
As the moto entered its final 10 minutes, the battle for second heated up between Anderson and Tomac. The Yamaha rider pounced at the first opportunity and stormed past, which put Tomac just over five seconds behind Roczen with eight minutes to go. With the support of the home crowd Tomac went on the attack and erased the deficit in a matter of a couple laps. Once he closed onto Roczen’s rear fender Tomac pulled the trigger on a pass and got by the Honda with ease, to the delight of the fans in attendance.
Roczen kept Tomac honest for a couple laps after losing the lead, but the Yamaha rider was too consistent and pulled away in the closing stages. Tomac took his second consecutive moto win by 3.1 seconds over Roczen, followed by Anderson in third. Sexton finished in fourth, while Cairoli finished strong to claim fifth.
Moto 2
The second premier class moto began with another MotoSport.com Holeshot for Cairoli, his third in a row, but he was immediately overtaken by Roczen, who put the hammer down and sprinted away to establish an initial lead of 3.5 seconds on the opening lap. Cairoli was forced to fend off heavy pressure by Anderson, while Tomac battled his way into fourth, just ahead of Sexton.
In his pursuit of Cairoli, Anderson went down after his rear tire popped out of a rut. He was able to remount, but dropped to just outside the top 10. Anderson’s misfortune played into Tomac’s favor, as he moved up to third, but Sexton made the pass on the Moto 1 winner to take control of the position. Both Sexton and Tomac kept pushing the pace, which allowed the duo to close in on Cairoli in second and successfully make their respective passes to drop the Italian off the moto podium.
As the moto reached its halfway point Roczen managed a lead of nearly four seconds, but Sexton was on a charge and was able to get his teammate within his sights. With 13 minutes to go Sexton was able to make the pass for the lead look easy and quickly put some distance over Roczen, as Tomac followed several seconds behind in third.
As time continued to tick away the momentum appeared to shift into Tomac’s favor as he began to run his fastest laps of the moto in the waning minutes. Less than three seconds separated the top three with five minutes to go as Tomac remained the fastest rider on the track. Despite the better pace, Tomac was unable to make any pass attempts stick as Roczen’s defensive prowess kept the Yamaha at bay. The longtime rivals put on a show as they continued to duke it out, which allowed Sexton to sprint away.
Sexton had the win in hand, with a lead of more than five seconds, but went down on the final lap with just a few turns to go. That handed the lead to Roczen, whose fight to fend off Tomac paid off with his first moto win of the season. The German crossed the line 5.1 seconds ahead of Sexton, who remounted quickly enough to lose just one spot, with Tomac third.
Overall
By virtue of his unexpected moto win, Roczen vaulted to the top of the overall classification, where his 2-1 moto finishes were enough to give him the 21st win of his career and his fifth victory at Thunder Valley, where he also emerged triumphant one year ago. Tomac earned a runner-up finish at his home race (1-3), while Sexton’s result in the final moto moved him into third overall (4-2).
With his third overall podium finish in as many races this season, Sexton maintained his hold of the championship lead. He currently holds a five-point advantage over Roczen, who gained seven points, while Tomac moved into third, 14 points behind Sexton.
Ken Roczen, Team Honda HRC
“It’s about being relentless. We (Tomac and I) had the greatest battle going on. I just didn’t want to give up. I just want to get better every weekend and that’s what we did. It’s unfortunate Chase went down like that, but I’ll take it. I’m so stoked right now.”
Eli Tomac, Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing
“It was a lot of fun racing. We were so close so many times there. I gave it my all. It’s always fun racing with Ken (Roczen). He races really clean and it makes it that much more enjoyable. It’s a bummer we missed out on the overall, but I’m still happy with the result today.”
Chase Sexton, Team Honda HRC
“I don’t know (what to say). I came into the corner and got a swing with the rear and cross rutted. It was a costly mistake and we need to make sure that doesn’t happen again.”
250 Class
Moto 1
The opening moto of the 250 Class kicked off with Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing’s Levi Kitchen at the head of the pack for the MotoSport.com Holeshot while his teammate Justin Cooper slotted into second ahead of Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Stilez Robertson, who was briefly passed by Jett Lawrence before reclaiming the position. The point leader was persistent and reclaimed third before the completion of the opening lap.
Lawrence’s forward progression continued in the early laps as he caught and passed Cooper with ease for second. Once into the runner-up spot, Lawrence looked to close in on a four-second deficit to Kitchen out front. While Lawrence initially gained ground, Kitchen responded with his fastest laps of the moto to pull back out and effectively end the threat. He continued to build on that advantage through the remainder of the moto.
Kitchen managed his first opportunity to lead a moto with the poise of a veteran. He was never challenged and went wire-to-wire for the first moto win of his career. The Yamaha rider took the checkered flag 9.4 seconds ahead of Lawrence, who also rode unchallenged in second, with Cooper in third. Team Honda HRC’s Hunter Lawrence overcame a start deep inside the top 10 to finish fourth, while Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker rounded out the top five.
Moto 2
The second and deciding moto started with the Lawrence brothers leading the way as Hunter grabbed the MotoSport.com Holeshot over Jett, who was then passed by Cooper for second. The lead trio quickly established themselves at the head of the pack. Behind them, a crash involving Hammaker and Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing’s Nate Thrasher ended up collecting Kitchen and dropped the Moto 1 winner outside the top 10.
Back out front, Hunter Lawrence built an advantage of nearly three seconds as Cooper and Jett Lawrence continued their battle for second. Jett’s persistence paid off and allowed him to make the pass for the position. The lead between the Lawrence’s then stabilized at about two seconds, which then shifted the focus to Kitchen and his recovery from misfortune on the opening lap. The Yamaha rider was determined and soon found himself on the verge of a spot in the top five.
Back towards the front, Cooper found himself under fire from Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GASGAS Factory Racing’s Michael Mosiman, who made easy work of the Yamaha rider to move into third. Once into podium position Mosiman continued to look forward and started to chip away at his deficit to Jett Lawrence in second. About 1.5 seconds sat between the two as Mosiman ran the fastest laps on the track, but Lawrence responded with an uptick in his pace, which allowed him to pull the gap back out.
While the Lawrences held strong to the top two spots, Mosiman started to lose ground to a late surge from Cooper in fourth. Cooper logged his best laps of the moto and was able to reclaim third with just a few minutes remaining.
At the front of the pack, Hunter Lawrence went unchallenged throughout the moto and carried on to a wire-to-wire performance that brought him his first moto win of the season. He took the checkered flag 5.5 seconds ahead of Jett, while Cooper followed closely in third.
Overall
Despite missing out on a moto win, Jett Lawrence’s consistent 2-2 effort was enough to put him atop the overall classification for his third straight win to open his title defense. It marked the eighth win of the young Australian’s career. Hunter Lawrence followed in the runner-up spot (4-1) for the second 1-2 performance for the siblings this season, while Kitchen’s resilient ride in the final moto was enough to bring him his first career podium result in third (1-5).
Jett Lawrence added another point to his lead in the championship standings, which now sits at 12 points over Hunter. Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Jo Shimoda, who finished fifth, is third, 38 points out of the lead.
Jett Lawrence, Team Honda HRC
“I’m just happy to get through the day. I’m (feeling) better than last weekend, but I’m still sick. I went flat (in the races). My speed just wasn’t there today. I just looked to stay on the podium and got the win, so I’m pumped.”
Hunter Lawrence, Team Honda HRC
“I just had to send it in the second moto and it worked out (on the start). That made it so much easier. It’s difficult here because the altitude is so much different than what we practice in, but we’ll keep working and try to keep getting better.”
Levi Kitchen, Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing
“This is huge (to be on the podium). It’s a big learning experience to get out there and run with all those guys. I knew in that second moto I was going to suffer, so I just gave it all I had in the first 10 minutes and brought it home. I didn’t even think I was on the podium, so it feels great to make it up here.”
The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will travel east for the first time next weekend with the Father’s Day tradition from Pennsylvania’s famed High Point Raceway and the fourth round of the 50th anniversary season. The High Point National will commence on Saturday, June 18, and will feature comprehensive live coverage on MAVTV Motorsports Network, beginning with broadcasts of the first motos of the 250 Class and 450 Class at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET, followed by second moto coverage of both divisions at 12 p.m. PT / 3 p.m. ET.
Thunder Valley National – 450 Class
Thunder Valley Motocross Park – Lakewood, CO
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