Steve Cox | June 17, 2017
2017 High Point 450 MX Results: Rocky Mountain ATV/MC KTM’s Blake Baggett shook the 450cc class with his dominant first-ever win at the Colorado round one race before this weekend’s High Point MX National, but the series had a weekend off in the meantime, and that could’ve either worked in his favor, or in favor of his competition.
Baggett was not to be slowed down, though.
In the first moto, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Josh Grant got the holeshot, and his teammate Eli Tomac moved into second early in the race, only to lose the front in a right-hander and go down, forcing him to come through the pack from last place. Grant led the first three laps in front of CycleTrader/Rock River Yamaha (CDR Yamaha in Australia) racer Dean Ferris, who took advantage of his weekend off from the national series in Australia to fly halfway around the world to Pennsylvania and race a different group of racers. (Ferris qualified third in daytime qualifying.)
2017 High Point 450 MX Results
Ferris actually fought his way by Grant to take the lead momentarily about five laps into the race, but Baggett was already bearing down on him after starting at the tail end of the top five. Baggett made short work of Ferris, and then Ferris had to fight off Grant for the rest of the race, which he did.
Baggett won the opening moto by a whopping 22 seconds over Ferris, then came Grant in third, followed by RCH Suzuki’s Broc Tickle in fourth, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Jason Anderson, Monster Energy/Yamalube/Chaparral Yamaha’s Cooper Webb, Tickle’s teammate Justin Bogle, JGR Suzuki’s Weston Peick, Anderson’s teammate Dean Wilson, Honda’s Cole Seely, privateer Honda rider Fredrik Noren, and then Tomac in 12th. Behind Tomac came Husky’s Martin Davalos, privateer Thomas Sipes, Baggett’s teammate Dakota Alix, and then points leader Marvin Musquin in 16th.
Musquin is rumored to be suffering from a knee injury, hampering his efforts on the day.
2017 High Point 450 MX Results
Tickle got the holeshot to start moto two, but Anderson quickly moved into the lead just in front of Tomac, Tickle, Wilson, Webb, Grant, Davalos, Bogle, Musquin and Baggett at the tail end of the top 10. Baggett quickly started moving forward while Tomac searched for a way around Anderson. He found it on lap four and immediately began putting time on the field. Baggett was still sixth when Tomac took the lead, and Baggett didn’t find his way through the top of the field to sit second until almost five laps later. By that point, Tomac was gone, and this time – unlike in Colorado – Baggett simply didn’t have the speed to chase Tomac down.
2017 High Point 450 MX Results
Tomac ended up taking the win by over 20 seconds ahead of Baggett, then came Anderson another 25 seconds back, then Tickle, Webb, Musquin, Wilson, Seely, Bogle and Davalos. Grant ended up 11th after crashing out of seventh with just a few laps to go.
Baggett ended up with his second overall victory in a row with his 1-2 score, and even more remarkable than that, he came into High Point 19 points behind Musquin in the championship, and two points behind Tomac, but left High Points the new 450cc MX National points leader, leading Musquin by 8 points as the series heads to Muddy Creek Raceway in Blountville, Tennessee, next Saturday. Tomac is currently third in the points standings, three points behind Musquin.
2017 High Point 450 MX Results
2017 High Point 450 MX Results
2017 High Point 450 MX Results
2017 High Point 450 MX Results
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