Round six of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championships saw another first-timer on top of the podium as JGR/Yamaha’s Josh Grant went 2-1 to claim the overall victory at RedBud Track N Trail in Buchanan, Michigan. Grant finished second behind series points leader Chad Reed in the opening moto, but passed last week’s winner Ivan Tedesco on the sixth lap of moto two to take the moto win and the overall.
Reed put his Rockstar Makita Suzuki out front early in moto one by grabbing the holeshot but he wasn’t able to hold off Red Bull Honda’s Andrew Short, who went around Reed before the end of the first lap. Short pulled a small gap and looked as though he might pull away to an easy win like his teammate Tedesco did the week before in Colorado, however Reed got a second wind at the midway point of the race and reeled in Short, making a pass on lap 11 to retake the lead.
In the meantime, Grant was making a late charge through the pack after starting the race just outside of the top five. During the closing laps, Grant passed Tedsesco, Short and then closed up on Reed, but ultimately ran out of time before he could attempt a pass.
At the finish the order was Reed, Grant, Short, Tedesco, and Kawasaki’s Ricky Dietrich.
Grant got a much better start in the second moto and was sitting third behind Tedesco and Short at the end of lap one. Grant dropped Short a position on lap four and then passed Tedesco for the lead on lap six.
Reed also passed Short, doing so on lap nine to move into third, but was not able to get close enough to Tedesco to challenge for second.
Moto two saw Grant with the win, followed by Tedesco, Reed, Short and JGR/Yamaha’s Cody Cooper.
In the 250 division, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jake Weimer claimed his second overall victory in a row, going 2-4 for the day.
Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey won the opening moto, passing Weimer on the third lap to do so. Weimer held on for second ahead of GEICO Powersports Honda’s Justin Barcia, who made a last lap pass on teammate Brett Metcalfe for the position.
Weimer’s teammate, series points leader Christophe Pourcel, suffered a poor start and then was involved in two crashes in the moto, leaving him in eighth for the moto.
Pourcel got off the line behind MDK/KTM’s Martin Davalos in moto two, taking the lead on lap six and pulling away for the win.
KTM’s Tommy Searle finished second in moto two, followed by Metcalfe and Weimer, while Dungey finished eighth.
Weimer took the overall win, with Pourcel in second via 8-1 moto finishes. Searle (5-2) was third overall followed by Metcalfe (4-3) and Dungey (1-8).
450 Results: 1. Josh Grant (Yam); 2. Chad Reed (Suz); 3. Ivan Tedesco (Hon); 4. Andrew Short (Hon); 5. Cody Cooper (Yam); 6. Ricky Dietrich (Kaw): 7. Michael Byrne (Suz); 8. Tyler Bowers (Hon); 9. Nick Wey (Yam); 10. Justin Brayton (KTM).
250 Results: 1. Jake Weimer (Kaw); 2. Christophe Pourcel (Kaw); 3. Tommy Searle (KTM); 4. Brett Metcalfe (Hon); 5. Ryan Dungey (Suz); 6. Justin Barcia (Hon); 7. Kyle Cunningham (Kaw); 8. Matt Lemoine (Yam); 9. Wil Hahn (KTM); 10. Martin Davalos (KTM).
