Cycle News Staff | August 17, 2019
Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac had a 50-point lead going into round 10 at Unadilla last weekend, but had an off-pace day and ended up only 40 points in front of his closest championship rivals coming into today’s Budds Creek MX National, round 11 of the 12-round Lucas Oil/AMA Pro Motocross Championships. He needed at least 50 points in-hand by the end of the day today to clinch his third-consecutive 450cc National MX Championship a round early, which is a feat he’d never accomplished in any of his other championship runs.
Tomac did his part, going 1-1 on the day in dominant fashion, and his competition cooperated just enough to clinch the title early for Tomac, as Red Bull KTM’s Marvin Musquin went 3-3 on the day, losing exactly 10 points to Tomac.
And in the 250cc class, it was a surprise winner, as TLD/Red Bull KTM’s Shane McElrath absolutely dominated both motos at Budds Creek, going 1-1 for the first time in his AMA National career. Points leader Adam Cianciarulo (Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki) went 2-5 on the day for second overall and gained two points on his closest championship rival, Dylan Ferrandis (Monster Energy/Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha) as the series heads to its finale in Indiana. Cianciarulo now carries 30 points over Ferrandis and can clinch the championship in Indiana by finishing third or better in the opening moto, or by scoring a total of 20 points, which is equivalent to an 11-11 day.
Tomac’s the Champ at the 2019 Budds Creek National
Rocky Mountain ATV/MC KTM’s Justin Bogle snagged the opening-moto holeshot, but Tomac fought his way into the lead immediately, followed a few seconds later by Honda’s Ken Roczen, who went 1-1 at the previous round at Unadilla. Roczen tried to match Tomac’s pace early in the Maryland heat, but he couldn’t, and he was forced to settle for second in the moto with time to spare over Musquin and the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna duo of Jason Anderson and Zach Osborne.
Monster Energy Yamaha’s Justin Barcia gave Osborne fits for a while during the moto but ended up sixth, in front of Bogle’s teammate Benny Bloss, Anderson/Osborne’s teammate Dean Wilson, Barcia’s teammate Aaron Plessinger and privateer Honda racers John Short and Kyle Cunningham.
Budds Creek Brings Third-Straight Title for Tomac
Osborne got the holeshot in moto two after pushing Musquin wide in turn one, but it was again Tomac who immediately pounced and took the lead away, then sprinted off with his second moto win of the day. Roczen again ran second early, but he’s still dealing with a mystery illness and the heat was intense at Budds Creek today, so Roczen faded in the waning laps to finish seventh.
Anderson was the first one to pass Roczen for second, around the halfway point, and he ended the day with a solid 4-2 for second overall. Musquin fought his way up to third in the moto in front of Osborne, Barcia, Wilson, Roczen, Cunningham, Plessinger, Short and Bloss.
Tomac carries exactly 50 points going into the final round, which is enough for him to clinch the title one round early. Anderson was second overall on the day, with Musquin third (3-3), Roczen fourth (2-7), Osborne fifth (5-4), Barcia sixth (6-5), Wilson seventh (8-6), Plessinger eighth (9-9), Bloss ninth (7-11) and Cunningham—a pure privateer racing with his dad as his mechanic, like the old days—grabbing 10th with a 11-8 day.
McElrath Dominates Budds Creek MX 2019
With how things have been going so far this year for TLD/Red Bull KTM’s Shane McElrath, nobody would’ve guessed him to win the Budds Creek National, much less dominate both motos the way he did. McElrath has only had three top-five moto finishes all season long, and none of them were in the top three, but at Budds Creek, nobody could touch him.
In the first moto, Monster Energy/Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha’s Ty Masterpool took the holeshot, but points leader Adam Cianciarulo was into second place right away. As he looked for a way around Masterpool, he went over a berm and nearly went down, which lost him three spots. He rejoined in fifth place, but McElrath inherited second, then went by Masterpool for the lead and took off, winning by almost 9 seconds over Cianciarulo, who recovered to take second place back by halfway through the race.
Cianciarulo was followed over the line by GEICO Honda’s RJ Hampshire and Cianciarulo’s closest championship rival, Dylan Ferrandis. Behind Ferrandis came Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Michael Mosiman, Ferrandis’s teammates Justin Cooper and Masterpool, McElrath’s teammate Cameron McAdoo, Cianciarulo’s teammate Martin Davalos, and Hampshire’s teammate Hunter Lawrence, who returned from injury for the Budds Creek event.
Cianciarulo Second at Budds Creek National
In moto two, McElrath got the holeshot over Ferrandis’s teammate Mitch Oldenburg, and then Oldenburg took over the lead when McElrath made an early error. But McElrath gathered himself back up, passed Oldenburg, and took off again, eventually winning by almost 8 seconds, this time over Cooper, who fought his way by JGR/Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing’s Alex Martin with a few laps to go. Martin ended up third in the moto over Ferrandis and Cianciarulo, both of whom came from outside the top 10.
Then came the day’s fastest 250cc qualifier Chase Sexton in sixth, just in front of CycleTrader/Rock River Yamaha’s Brandon Hartranft, Hampshire, McAdoo and Oldenburg.
McElrath took the overall with a 1-1 over the 2-5 of Cianciarulo and the 6-2 of Cooper, while Ferrandis ended the day fourth overall with a 4-4, but lost two points to Cianciarulo in the title chase. Hampshire was fifth (3-8) over McAdoo (8-9), Sexton (12-6), Masterpool (7-11), Martin (18-3) and Mosiman (5-14).
The series now heads to its final round at Ironman Raceway in Indiana this coming Saturday, August 24th.
Budds Creek Motocross Results 2019
Budds Creek Motocross Results 2019
Budds Creek Motocross Results 2019
Budds Creek Motocross Results 2019
For more of the latest motocross and supercross news and information, click here.
Qualifying is complete in the second-to-last round of the 2019 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship at Budds Creek MX Park in Maryland, August 17. The weather is good, but it’s going to be another hot one, so riders are doing what they can to conserve energy for the two motos that lay ahead of them.
Roczen Tops Budds Creek MX Qualifying 2019
Ken Roczen continues to ride well. The Honda HRC Team rider clocked his best time in the first qualifying session which held for the rest of the morning. Red Bull KTM’s Marvin Musquin had the quickest lap time in Q2, but it was still nearly a second off Roczen’s pace from Q1. As a result, Roczen is the top qualifier with a 2:00.423, followed by Musquin’s 2:01.353 and Monster Energy’s Eli Tomac’s 2:02.306. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Zach Osborne and Jason Anderson round out the top five overall.
In the championship standings, Tomac has a comfortable 40-point lead over Musquin, followed by Roczen, who is another point back. Tomac could clinch the title at Budds Creek but will have to leave Maryland with a 50-point advantage over the next-best rider.
There are a couple of noticeable absentees in the 450MX class today. Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Joey Savatgy elected to stay home with his wife who is expecting their first child, and WPS/KTM’s Blake Baggett is out for the rest of the season due to a staph infection.
Sexton Quickest In 250MX Qualifying
In the 250MX class, Geico Honda’s Chase Sexton topped the charts with a 2:02.280, which came in Q2. Adam Cianciarulo (Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki) is a little over a half second back, and is closely followed by arch rival Dylan Ferrandis (Monster Energy/Star Yamaha Racing).
Cianciarulo leads Ferrandis by 28 points in the 250MX championship. The next rider back is Ferrandis’ teammate Justin Cooper, who trails Ferrandis by another 31 points.
The 250MX class sees the return of Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Thomas Covington, and Geico Honda’s Hunter Lawrence, who is back after suffering a broken collarbone. Covington is returning following a bout with the Epstein-Barr virus. Lawrence qualified fourth, Covington 27th.
This will be the first time that the Lawrence brothers, Hunter and Jett, will compete against each other in an AMA Pro Motocross.
Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship
Round 10
Budds Creek MX Park
Mechanicsville, Maryland
RESULTS August 17, 2019
250MX Qualifying Results
450MX Qualifying Results