Motocross: Hangtown Qualifying Wraps Up
Kit Palmer | May 16, 2015
Defending champ Ken Roczen struggling with a new injury? (Photography by Kit Palmer)
Practice and qualifying has wrapped up at Hangtown and Eli Tomac and Adam Cianciarulo are the quickest in their respective classes, Tomac in the 450s and Cianciarulo in the 250s.
Tomac, on the GEICO Honda, certainly found the best line around the long, hilly and jumpy Hangtown track, posting a time nearly three seconds quicker than the nearest rider, Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey. Third quickest is Rockstar Energy Racing Husqvarna’s Jason Anderson, followed by Christophe Pourcel and Justin Barcia.
Things are a little tighter in the 250 class, with Cianciarulo, on the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki, posting a time a little under a second over teammate Joey Savatgy. Defending champ Jeremy Martin is a little over a second behind Cianciarulo, and Marvin Musquin is fourth quickest , about a half second behind Martin.
Chris Alldredge made it three Pro Circuit Kawasakis in the top five.
Perhaps the biggest story of the morning centers on the 450-class number-one plate holder who is rumored to be struggling with a back injury, suffered earlier in the week. The team is being tight-lipped about the situation, but Roczen is noticeably walking gingerly around the pits. He qualified 24th quickest.
Discount Tire/TwoTwo Motorsports Josh Grant is sitting this one out. Grant crashed earlier in the week while practicing, taking a shot to the head and biting a chunk out of his tongue. His is expected to return soon.
Kit Palmer | Editor
Kit Palmer started his career at Cycle News in 1984 and he’s been testing dirt and streetbikes ever since – plus covering any event that uses some form of a knobby tire. He’s also our resident motorcycle mileage man with a commute of 120 miles a day.
