| June 18, 2016
Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Joey Savatgy is not only one of very few racers who have been getting into the middle of the Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha freight train at the front of the pack during the 2016 Lucas Oil AMA 250cc Motocross Championships, but he’s actually the points leader, having won two of the three rounds leading up to today’s High Point MX National in Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania.
At High Point, Savatgy had some trouble, but his closest championship rivals—both on Yamahas—had even more of it.
Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha’s Alex Martin has been absolutely on fire as of late, and he still was in Pennsylvania. In moto one, he went by his brother and defending series champion Jeremy early on the opening lap to take the lead, and after a few laps he succumbed to pressure from Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Zach Osborne, who passed Jeremy and Alex Martin in the early going to take over the lead.
Earlier in the day, Osborne actually joined his 450cc teammate Jason Anderson to sweep the top qualifying spots on the day for the first time in Husqvarna’s modern MX-racing history, so he was on his game. Alex Martin stayed close until a little past halfway through the moto, when his bike began to puff smoke. The smoke got heavier and heavier until, with three laps to go, Alex Martin’s engine finally gave out. He scored a DNF.
Jeremy Martin, who says he’s still recovering from an early-season illness, went after Osborne late in the moto but came up just short. Osborne took the moto victory—the first of his career, and the first for Husqvarna since its return to AMA 250cc Motocross—followed by Yamaha teammates Jeremy Martin and Cooper Webb.
Points leader Savatgy began the race solidly inside the top 10, but a fall slowed his progress late in the moto and he ended up fourth, just in front of rookie teammate Austin Forkner and Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha’s Aaron Plessinger.
Jeremy Martin snatched another great start in moto two, but was quickly passed this time by Savatgy’s teammate Adam Cianciarulo. While Cianciarulo led, Savatgy found his way by Jeremy Martin for second, then passed his teammate for the lead a lap later and attempted to set sail out front.
However, Alex Martin had latched onto Savatgy’s rear wheel and followed him right through the top few spots to land himself in second while it was Jeremy’s turn to begin spewing smoke from his YZ250F. Jeremy Martin began fading and eventually dropped out when his engine gave up, with a seemingly identical problem to his brother Alex’s motorcycle in moto one, just past halfway.
Moto-one winner Osborne started near the front but didn’t quite get going quick enough and lost a few spots before he found his rhythm and began picking off other racers. His charge would stall out in fourth place, though, sandwiched between the Yamahas of Cooper Webb in fifth and Aaron Plessinger in third.
Out front, Savatgy held the lead all the way to the finish, barely holding off a late charge from Alex Martin.
Savatgy’s 4-1 score gave him the overall win over Osborne’s 1-4, Webb’s 3-5, Plessinger’s 6-3, and Forkner’s 5-8.
And with the DNFs for each of the Martin brothers, Savatgy now enjoys the largest points lead he’s had so far this year, with 20 points in hand over Webb, and then both of the Martin brothers within 10 points of him in third and fourth.
The series now heads to Blountville, Tennessee, for the Muddy Creek MX National on June 25th.
–STEVE COX