Cooper Webb leads the start of the 450 qualifying moto. Photography by Kit Palmer
It’s hard to say if any questions were completely answered today during timed practice and qualifying for tomorrow’s final round of the FIM Motocross World Championship at Glen Helen Raceway, but it does appear that local favorite Josh Grant is the rider to beat in the MXGP (450cc) class at the Grand Prix of the USA. The Monster Energy Kawasaki Team rider got off to a fast start in the single 20-minute moto. He then slipped past fellow American Cooper Webb on the second lap and simply checked out, taking the checkered flag 5.9 seconds ahead of the Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha rider, Webb, who was making his debut in the big-bike class.
Unlike the AMA outdoor Nationals where practice, timed qualifying and finals are held all in one day (Saturday), the FIM MXGPs cover two days, the first day hosting timed practice and later a single 20-minute moto that determine starting-gate pick for the first of the next day’s two-moto finals. It’s a little bit more racing than what the AMA National riders are used to.
Josh Grant
Equipment is slightly different for them, too. The FIM GP bikes are true “works” bikes, whereas the AMA National bikes are more production-based and are not nearly as modified as the GP bikes. Sure, the national bikes can be heavily modified like the GP bikes for this race, but the U.S. factory teams simply don’t have the time to make big changes and test for them. The National bikes have to comply to a few important and specific FIM rules, too—the biggie is fuel. The GP bikes are required to run fuel with less oxygen, and that means slightly less power but more importantly, reduced throttle response. To compensate, the U.S. teams have been spending the last couple of weeks, or even just days, re-mapping their bikes’ ECU and ignitions to hopefully find that perfect setting.
The FIM requires quieter bike, too, which also effect engine performance and tuning. The National bikes also have to switch from titanium axles and swingarm pivots to steel, which can affect handling. (The FIM feels that steel is safer than titanium in these departments.)
Cooper Webb
Despite having to adapt to the different rules and compete against some radically different machinery, Grant used his home court advantage to the maximum.
“Obviously I think I’ve done a few laps around this place; like to call it home,” said Grant. “For me, it was my first GP race, getting used to the format was a little bit different, but I enjoyed it, definitely a learning experience.
“I’m just excited to get a good gate pick for tomorrow,” Grant added. “Just try to repeat what I did today. It’s going to be really hot tomorrow; I know they’re calling for another triple digits. I just have to stay hydrated and stay focused on tomorrow and have some fun.
“I’m pretty happy,” he said about his fitness. “I think today it was a good warm-up for me, like I said, figuring out the format. I didn’t spend too much time in practice throwing down a lot of laps. I got some information from RV [Ryan Villopoto], so he kind of helped me out with that, said you know you don’t need to go and spend yourself trying to be the fastest guy. I kind of took it easy a little bit today, did good in the race and looking forward to putting it down tomorrow.
“It should affect everybody,” Grant said about the heat. “I’m in it everyday. Out here in California were used to that triple digits.”
The heat is something the riders of the MXGP series are not used to right now. In fact, they just left Mexico where it was much cooler and even rained and left the track a muddy mess. Glen Helen will be a stark contrast. At least one GP rider became ill after the qualifying race because of the heat today. Yes, it’s that hot. And the forecast is for even more heat tomorrow.
Romain Febvre
Newly crowned MXGP World Champion Romain Febvre finish third after a spirited battle with Webb. Febvre actually got around Webb on the last lap but fell, handing it back to the fellow Yamaha rider. Febvre maintained third, finishing 12 seconds behind Grant.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Jason Anderson looked good and nabbed fourth after starting eighth. Former World champ Antonio Cairoli was fifth in his first race back from injury. Cairoli said the injury is 100-percent healed but, overall, isn’t fully fit after being off the bike for a number of weeks. He admitted that he’s going to have a hard time putting in full motos tomorrow in the heat.
Davi Millsaps made his debut on the BTO Sports KTM but didn’t set the world on fire. He was 16th in timed practice and 13th in qualifying.
Red Bull KTM’s Dean Wilson, who will represent Great Britain in next week’s Motocross of Nations, turned heads in practice by setting the quickest single lap of the morning but could not duplicate that in the qualifying moto after getting off to a bad start. He finished one spot behind Millsaps in 14th.
Davi Millsaps
It was also Marvin Musquin’s first ride on the 450. The Red Bull KTM team rider look good on the bike; he was fifth in practice but slipped a bit in the moto, finishing 10th.
In the MX2 (250cc) class, TLD/Lucas Oil KTM’s Shan McElrath simply dominated. He was quickest in practice and backed it up by easily winning the qualifier, finishing 8.7 seconds ahead of Swiss rider Valentin Guillod on the Standing Construct Yamaha. Third, 11 seconds behind McElrath, was Honda Gariboldi Honda’s Tim Gajser, who, barring any major disaster, should wrap up the MX2 title tomorrow. The Slovenian is 18 points ahead of Red Bull KTM’s Pauls Jonass, who retired just a few laps in with a blown engine.
Shane McElrath
Also returning to the paddock early was Great Britain’s Max Anstie on the Monster Energy DRT Kawasaki. His bike started emitting blue smoke that put him out of the race. Anstie is one of the hottest riders on the GP circuit right now and has plenty of experience on the Glen Helen track. Many consider him to be a favorite to win the class, but now he will have a poor gate pick for tomorrow’s first race. Luckily for him, though, there are only 25 riders in this race (compared to 40 in a U.S. National).
Another American hopeful who is a regular on the GP circuit is Thomas Covington, who won the last round in the mud in Mexico. Covington was fast off the line but fell on the first lap. He finished seventh, one spot behind TLD/Lucas Oil KTM’s Jessy Nelson.
Tim Gajser
The next-best American was Chris Alldredge (Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki) in 10th.
RESULTS
MXGP Qualifying Race Top Ten: 1. Josh Grant (USA, Kawasaki), 26:39.978; 2. Cooper Webb (USA, Yamaha), +0:05.940; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:12.397; 4. Jason Anderson (USA, Husqvarna), +0:23.408; 5. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:26.050; 6. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Honda), +0:29.519; 7. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), +0:31.512; 8. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:33.099; 9. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Husqvarna), +0:34.947; 10. Marvin Musquin (FRA, KTM), +0:40.697.
MX2 Qualifying Race Top Ten: 1. Shane McElrath (USA, KTM), 25:26.740; 2. Valentin Guillod (SUI, Yamaha), +0:08.773; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:11.344; 4. Harri Kullas (FIN, Husqvarna), +0:12.774; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki), +0:18.342; 6. Jessy Nelson (USA, KTM), +0:19.998; 7. Thomas Covington (USA, Kawasaki), +0:23.956; 8. Petar Petrov (BUL, Kawasaki), +0:44.838; 9. Brian Hsu (GER, Suzuki), +0:46.121; 10. Chris Alldredge (USA, Kawasaki), +0:47.936
