Steve Cox | August 25, 2018
2018 Ironman 250cc National MX Results: Monster Energy/Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha’s Aaron Plessinger clinched his first-ever AMA National Championship a week before this weekend’s series finale in Indiana, at Budds Creek, and with the pressure off, at a racetrack where he’s won before, Plessinger went out and dominated in the mud, going 1-1 to win the overall and extend his points lead to 111 in the official tally.
2018 Ironman 250cc National MX Results
In the first moto, Plessinger’s teammate Justin Cooper grabbed the holeshot and led the early laps over GEICO Honda’s Chase Sexton and Plessinger, but Sexton made his way around Cooper around the halfway point, only for Plessinger to follow suit and then begin pressuring him for the lead right away. Plessinger found his way by soon thereafter and set sail.
Plessinger’s teammate Dylan Ferrandis, who won the mud race at Unadilla, began working his way through the top of the field late in the moto and sat third, not far behind Sexton, just as he got the two-to-go board, only for his motorcycle to stop running.
Plessinger had enough of a lead that he fell on the last lap and still ended up winning by about five seconds over Sexton, who also fell in the last couple laps. Sexton just held off Cooper at the finish, with Sexton’s teammate RJ Hampshire, TLD/Red Bull KTM’s Shane McElrath, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Michael Mosiman, and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Austin Forkner rounding out the only racers on the lead lap at the finish.
Ferrandis was credited with 10th place after his late-race DNF.
2018 Ironman 250cc National MX Results
Hampshire ended up grabbing the holeshot in moto two with Sexton and Plessinger right on his tail. Plessinger went by Sexton right away, then made an aggressive pass on Hampshire to take the lead, after which he put his head down and started pulling away again.
Hampshire went down a few laps into the moto and got up fourth, behind Plessinger, Sexton, and Plessinger’s teammate Colt Nichols, but Sexton also went down a handful of laps after that, which moved Nichols up to second and Hampshire up to third, where they would both finish in the moto. Behind Hampshire came Ferrandis, Forkner, Sexton, Cooper, Forkner’s teammate Joey Savatgy, McElrath’s teammate (and series runner-up) Alex Martin, and McElrath rounding out the racers on the lead lap.
2018 Ironman 250cc National MX Results
Plessinger took the overall with his fifth 1-1 finish of the year while Hampshire (4-3) was second overall and Sexton (2-6) was third.
Plessinger’s next race is scheduled for October 5-6 at the RedBud Motocross of Nations, where he’ll be joined by new 2019 450cc teammate Justin Barcia and 2017-2018 450cc National Champ Eli Tomac as part of Team USA.
2018 Ironman 250cc National MX Results
2018 Ironman 250cc National MX Results
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