Marvin Musquin Scores 250 MX Victory in Indiana

Larry Lawrence | August 16, 2014

Photography by Larry Lawrence

CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. (Aug. 16, 2014) — Marvin Musquin scored his second victory of the season Saturday in the 250CC class of the Ironman Motocross National. The Red Bull KTM helped his team sweep both classes by going 3-1 in very difficult conditions. Rockstar Energy Racing KTM’s Joseph Savatgy was second overall with a 4-3 moto finish and Jessy Nelson rounded out the podium finishers with a 1-8 on his Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil/Honda.

While Musquin won today’s battle in Indiana, the big winner was Jeremy Martin, who clinched the 2014 Lucas Oil 250cc Motocross Championship with second-place finish in the first moto. When second-ranked Blake Baggett fell in the first moto and only managed 14th that sealed the title for Martin.

“I couldn’t believe it when I pulled up to the podium after the first moto,” Martin said. “I was like, ‘OK, a solid second-place finish let’s get ready to go again in the second moto,’ and I saw all these signs being held up congratulating me for the championship.”

Martin crashed in the second moto and struggled getting his bike restarted. That’s why he finished 15th in the moto and eighth overall, but for him the pressure was already off his shoulders.

For Musquin the win was a big boost to his season. He said in spite of having Motocross GP experience he said he wasn’t necessarily happy about racing in the thick Indiana muck.

“It can be fun,” Musquin said of mud racing. “but it’s so easy to make a mistake. Like in the second practice I think I did one lap and I got stuck in the mud and couldn’t go anywhere. That can happen during the race. It’s tough, but that’s part of racing and you never know. I’ve been in the U.S. a couple of years now and I think I’ve never raced in the mud.”

Musquin had to hold off a hard-charging Christophe Pourcel on the last lap of the second moto to get the moto victory. The margin between the two at the end was 0.606 seconds.

“I kept charging and trying to be smooth,” Musquin continued. “It was getting really, really close at the end. Pourcel was trying everything he could and for me in front I was just trying not to crash and I knew he was coming. I’m really happy to come up with the victory.”

Results of the Ironman 250cc MX National in Crawfordsville, Indiana – Aug. 16, 2014
1 25 Marvin Musquin France KTM 250 SX-F 3/1
2 43 Joseph Savatgy Thomasville, GA KTM 250 SX-F 4/3
3 50 Jessy Nelson Paso Robles, CA Honda CRF250R 1/8
4 377 Christophe Pourcel France Yamaha YZ 250F 9/2
5 37 Cooper Webb Newport, NC Yamaha YZ 250F 6/5
6 15 Dean Wilson Scotland Kawasaki KX 250F 8/6
7 55 Alex Martin Millville, MN Yamaha YZ 250F 7/7
8 19 Jeremy Martin Millville, MN Yamaha YZ 250F 2/15
9 17 Jason Anderson Rio Rancho, NM KTM 250 SX-F 5/10
10 4 Blake Baggett Grand Terrace, CA Kawasaki KX 250F 14/4

Larry Lawrence | Archives Editor

In addition to writing our Archives section on a weekly basis, Lawrence is another who is capable of covering any event we throw his way.