2013 AMA Pro Motocross Hangtown Results

Monster Energy Kawasaki's Ryan Villopoto Dominates Hangtown

[caption id="attachment_26264" align="alignright" width="300"] Ryan Villopoto kicked off the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship with a dominating 1-1 performance.[/caption]

Three weeks after wrapping up his third-consecutive Monster Energy Supercross championship, Ryan Villopoto kicked off the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship with a dominating 1-1 performance. Villopoto took over the lead before the halfway point in both motos and was unchallenged, winning by more than 20 seconds. Monster Energy Kawasaki's Jake Weimer finished 13th, while Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Tyla Rattray and Dean Wilson finished ninth and 14th, respectively. In the 250 class, defending champion Blake Baggett finished second overall. His teammates Justin Hill, Darryn Durham, and Martin Davalos finished 10th, 14th, and 17th respectively, to open the season.

Making it Look Easy
After fighting for a third straight supercross title the last four months, Villopoto did not have much time to prepare for his first outdoor season since 2011. You would have never known it though, as he handled the competition to take the lead in both motos and win by more than 20 seconds. Monster Energy Kawasaki are some of the few that are running the new triple chamber air fork, which Villopoto put to the test and demonstrated how well it worked on the rough Hangtown track.

"It's tough coming into outdoors with such little time to prepare after supercross," said Villopoto. "I didn't race outdoors last year so we potentially could have been behind everyone else on settings, but that is not the case. In the past I have struggled in the second motos, but today I was strong through both."

[caption id="attachment_26272" align="alignleft" width="300"] Blake Baggett kicked off the season where he left off last year.[/caption]

Warrior
Defending 250 class champion Baggett kicked off the season where he left off last year. He grabbed the first moto holeshot on his Kawasaki KX250F and battled for the lead in both motos. After breaking his wrist in supercross, Baggett has little range of motion but was strong through both motos and sits second in the standings after a 3-2 moto score.

"We're working into the season with my wrist," said Baggett. "Considering I haven't been behind the gate since January while everyone else raced, I'm happy with my result. I had to make some changes to accommodate my wrist, but it will progress as the weeks go on."

Stepping Up
Both Wilson and Rattray made the jump to the 450 class at Hangtown and had a great showing. Wilson battled for a top-five position in the first moto before stalling the bike on one of the tricky Hangtown hills. A crash kept him from the front in Moto 2, but he showed he has what it takes to run in the premier class. Rattray had a quiet weekend to finish ninth in both motos after coming from behind.

"I actually don't feel like I rode that great," said Rattray. "But ninth is a great starting point and I know we can easily climb up the standings."

First Pro National
Hill did not start his first outdoor national the way he anticipated. Coming into the first turn he tangled with another rider and was thrown to the ground. Hill got up and fought as hard as he could to almost reach the top-10, finishing 13th. In Moto 2, the rookie got off to a clean start and battled to finish ninth, catching and passing many of his former amateur rivals and finishing 10th overall. Hill planned on being joined by fellow Team Green prodigy Adam Cianciarulo, but illness delayed him from making his debut at Hangtown.

"Today went really well considering how it started," said Hill. "My speed and fitness was right on point to put me in the top-10 and with a good start and running the leaders pace, I know we can be battling for the box. The bike is so fast, it's on me to put it up front."

[caption id="attachment_26285" align="alignright" width="300"] Jake Weimer worked hard on Saturday to overcome a bad start in Moto 1 and a crash in Moto 2.[/caption]

Benchmark
Weimer worked hard on Saturday to overcome a bad start in Moto 1 and a crash in Moto 2. In the first moto, he showed that his training is paying off as he made multiple passes in the late stages of the race to finish seventh. After a crash on the first lap of the second moto, Weimer was able to grab a hold of the leaders as they put him a lap down, and he ran their pace for the remainder of the moto. Weimer will be a threat for the podium in the weeks to come.

"It was not the result I was looking for, but we now have our benchmark," said Weimer. "I felt strong through the full 35 minutes and have the speed to run with the leaders. With a start I think we can definitely turn some heads."

One Good, One Bad
Both Durham and Davalos came out swinging at Hangtown. When the gate dropped for the first moto they were both within the top-10 until Davalos crashed hard over one of the rutted tabletops. Durham would go on to battle and finish sixth. In Moto 2, Durham was the one who put himself on the ground after making contact with another rider in air, ending his race. Davalos, although sore from his first moto crash, soldiered on to finish 12th.

"It's a bummer, but it makes me hungrier," said Davalos. "I didn't get to show everything I had this weekend, so I'm even more excited to head to Colorado. That's my favorite track."

[caption id="attachment_26271" align="alignleft" width="300"] Blake Baggett sits second in the standings after a 3-2 moto score.[/caption]

Going Up
The series will head to Lakewood, Colo next Saturday at Thunder Valley MX Park. Lakewood sits at nearly 5,500 feet above sea level, which adds an extra element the racers have to face.

Source: Kawasaki Racing

Ryan Dungey Earns 2nd At Hangtown National

[caption id="attachment_26278" align="alignright" width="300"] Ryan Dungey earned 2nd overall in front of an excited Northern California crowd - Photo: Simon Cudby[/caption]

Red Bull KTM Factory rider Ryan Dungey earned 2nd overall at the opening round of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship in front of an excited Northern California crowd.

Ryan Dungey got off to a great start in the beginning of the first 450 Motocross class moto when he rounded the first corner in 4th position. He wasted no time moving his way forward and was sitting in 2nd place within the first few laps. He held that position for the remainder of the moto to earn a podium finish.

Dungey launched his KTM 450 SX-F Factory Edition machine to an even better start in the second moto as he rounded the first corner in 2nd position behind James Stewart. Dungey trailed Stewart for the first half of the race constantly battling for the lead. Dungey took over the lead a few times as the two battled back and forth for the position before Dungey ran off the track while trying to make the pass. When he fell off course it allowed Ryan Villopoto to get around and Dungey dropped to 3rd.

Dungey quickly recovered and got back on course and immediately found himself behind the rear wheel of Stewart. A lap later he was able to make the pass into 2nd place. He again held strong for the remaining laps to take another 2nd place finish for the moto. His 2-2 results earned him 2nd overall for the day.

Next Round: Lakewood, CO - May 25, 2013

Source: KTM North America

James Stewart Podiums At Hangtown MX Opener

[caption id="attachment_26305" align="alignright" width="200"] James Stewart celebrated two stunning holeshots and a solid third-place overall result[/caption]

Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing's James Stewart celebrated two stunning holeshots and a solid third-place overall result at the season-opening round of the 2013 AMA Pro Motocross Championships at the Hangtown Motocross Classic in Sacramento, California, on Saturday.

After missing the final three rounds of AMA/ FIM World Supercross series due to injury, Stewart returned to racing with a vengeance over the weekend, demonstrating tremendous speed, discipline and consistency and racing two very smart motos: In both 30-minute races, he took the holeshot on his Yoshimura Suzuki RM-Z450 and got out-front immediately. In the first moto, he led briefly before slotting comfortably into third. In the second moto, he stepped it up and led the first five laps before again finishing third. The two combined results handed the Yoshimura Suzuki rider third-place overall.

Said Stewart: "I ended up going three-three for the day and I'm really happy about it, especially considering where we've been for the last six months. With my knee and everything else that happened, I just wanted to come out of Hangtown with a top five. After the first moto, the third place was good and I got both holeshots on the Yoshimura Suzuki RM-Z450, which was pretty cool. So I was happy with third overall. I'm really happy with 'three-three' to start the season off. Next, we'll go to Colorado and focus on getting better each weekend."

Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing's next race is round two of the 2013 AMA Pro Motocross Championships on Saturday May 25th at the Thunder Valley National in Lakewood, Colorado.



Source: Team Suzuki

Rockstar Energy Racing Hangtown Motocross Classic Race Report

[caption id="attachment_26282" align="alignright" width="300"] Ryan Sipes came to round 1 filling in for the injured Davi Millsaps for the 2013 MX season in the 450 class.[/caption]

Rockstar Energy Racing migrated to Northern California for the opening round of the Lucas Oil Outdoor Pro Motocross Championship at Hangtown MX in Rancho Cordova. The Dirt Diggers track crew always brings in several dump truck loads of rice husk to mix into the soil to hold moisture and create lines on the track built on the Prairie ORV National Park's land. The result is one of the roughest tracks of the year and a nightmare for all suspension technicians trying to dial in their riders bikes. This presents an impossible task to make the bikes perfect and a great way to kick off the season. Nearly every rider on the team came in dealing with some sort of adversity except for Jason Anderson. However Jason came across issues of his own in both motos 1 and 2.

Ryan Sipes came to round 1 filling in for the injured Davi Millsaps for the 2013 MX season in the 450 class. Ryan was just racing a 250 two short weeks ago in Las Vegas. That means he had very little time to adapt and test on the larger bike. That is tough when racing at this level. Sipes exceeded all expectations anyone had for him given the circumstances. He simply rode amazing. Most impressive was his stamina. He came out on a very gnarly track with 200 more CC's and was charging through the last lap. If round 1 is any indication, Sipes will be vying for top 5's right away.

Ryan Sipes: "I thought it was a good weekend. I didn't really know where I stood comin into this thing and I just wanted to come up here, be consistent, finish the motos strong and it worked out. Hangtown is one of my least favorite tracks but I just tried to grind it out and not slow down. 6th overall is the best I've ever done here so I'm alright with it."

Unlike Jason Anderson's teammates, he came in with nothing outside weighing on him but the pressure of being a podium guy. Jason's results on paper, in no way tell the story of how great he really rode. In moto one he was involved in an incident that collected several riders. He came back from outside the top 30 to find himself cross the finish line in 12th. The second moto, he started out much better quickly moving into 3rd place. But then he unexpectedly began to move backwards. Turns out that was a result of the adversity that Jason came across on Saturday. He actually lost his rear brakes in both motos. On a track with massive braking bumps going down steep hills and high speed step-ups landing right into corners, what he did was beyond stellar. Anderson managed to salvage 7th overall by the end of the day and it is very clear that he really does harbor podium speed.

[caption id="attachment_26268" align="alignleft" width="300"] Jason Anderson managed to salvage 7th overall by the end of the day.[/caption]

Jason Anderson: "Hangtown was alright. I lost my brakes. Got 12th in the first moto, 6th in the second moto, rode good but I'm a little frustrated. Going to come out swinging even harder next weekend in Colorado."

Blake Wharton had been struggling with breathing throughout the entire Supercross season. After seeing a doctor it was discovered that he was suffering from a deviated septum. Not being able to pull oxygen in through your nose can cause multiple problems including muscle fatigue and arm pump. Blake had a surgery to repair this which will help him greatly as the season moves on but he was forced to stay off the bike for a while prior to the race. Round 2 will be much better for Wharton as he even made a substantial improvement from moto 1 to moto 2.

Blake Wharton: "Hangtown is always an interesting race. First round, takes me a while to get going sometimes it seems. I just back from my surgery on my septum. So it was good to ride my bike. I knew it would be tough in the first round after having some time off. The first moto was terrible for me to be honest. I had some issues for sure. The second moto I knew I could do better, and it was better. I ran up front for a while and I gotta race my way back into consistency. Gonna go into next round and try to improve."

Nico Izzi had a weekend to forget. However, forgetting the weekend is exactly what Izzi needs to do. He spent a lot of time away from racing after having his knee surgically repaired. There is no amount of riding or training that can mimic actual racing. You can ride at a practice track every day for months, but nothing compares to lining up behind the gate with your toughest competitors. It will certainly take Nico a couple rounds to get the racing edge back and that is what was expected.

[caption id="attachment_26276" align="alignright" width="300"] Blake Wharton finished 13th overall in his first race since his surgery.[/caption]

Nico Izzi: "First moto I felt ok for about 20 minutes. I had a minor tip over about halfway, I was in 8th when I did that. Got passed by a couple guys and went back to to 10th. Then I stalled the back and went back to 23rd. It kinda took a lot of energy out of me. The second moto I had about a 25th place start. I just need better starts and try to build up my intensity a bit. It's the first race back and I just have to build."

Rockstar Energy racing will head east of the Rocky Mountains next week to overcome the challenge of a track over a mile high above sea level in Lakewood, CO. Sipes will look to build on a successful round 1. Anderson will expect to find his way to a podium finish. Wharton and Izzi will try to improve on their performances getting back to form. The team will be joined by Clement Desalle and Kevin Strijbos of the Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1 Team out of Belgium. The duo will be coming fresh off a double podium in Beto Carrero at the GP of Brazil and will try to do the same against the best in the US.

Source: Rockstar Energy Racing

Broc Tickle Fights From Back At Hangtown MX

[caption id="attachment_26284" align="alignright" width="300"] Broc Tickle overcame mid-pack starts and crashes to start the 2013 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross series with some solid points.[/caption]

RCH Racing Suzuki's Broc Tickle overcame mid-pack starts and crashes to start the 2013 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross series at Hangtown, Sacramento in California with some solid points in the 12-round series.

Flying the new Ram Truck brand livery aboard the #20 Ram/ Sycuan Casino/ RCH Racing/ Suzuki RM-Z450, Tickle finished 14th in Moto 1 and 12th in Moto 2 for 12th overall, five points down on 10th in the series.

Flying the Ram Truck brand livery aboard the No. 20 Ram/Sycuan Casino/RCH Racing/Suzuki RM-Z450, Tickle scored 14th in the first 15 minute timed qualifying session as the RCH rider searched for the preferred racing line while learning the nuisances of the rolling terrain and multiple obstacles.

Said Tickle: "I think I was around 28th in the first sections of the opening moto, made a bunch of passes and after the second lap, I was in 12th. Then, I lost the front end on lap three. It was a little bit of a bummer that I did that but got it back up, got it going and passed some guys. The guys that I was around already were way out in front of me, so I had some work cut out for me to try to get close to them, but I felt pretty good."

[caption id="attachment_26283" align="alignleft" width="300"] Broc Tickle finished 12th overall, five points down on 10th in the series.[/caption]

Tickle started 14th as the gate dropped for Moto No. 2. He was trapped in early traffic and was running 18th after the first circuit, but charged hard and was up to 12th by Lap eight.

"I had somebody right in front of me and I wanted to pass them, so I gave 'er an extra charge there and found some good lines toward the end of the race," said Tickle. "My last five or six laps were my best laps of the whole race. That was really good. It showed that I was strong.

"I'm a little bummed because I know where I should be. I normally shine a little better in Outdoors and I am in good shape, but we got the first one out of the way. We have 22 more motos and time to knuckle down, get in there and be around the top five. If you look at the first moto, for instance, my fastest lap was at the end, but the sixth-placed guy; his last five laps were way slower than mine.

"You know, the competition is deep this year and everybody is healthy right now. The goal for the team and for myself is to do the best we can do. We know where we should be and that's around fifth to eighth every weekend. That's where I should be every moto."

The 2013 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship now heads to Thunder Valley in Lakewood, Colorado for Round 2 next weekend.

Source: Team Suzuki

Ken Roczen Wins 250MX Class At The Hangtown Motocross Classic

[caption id="attachment_26269" align="alignright" width="300"] Ken Roczen took the win in the 250MX class - Photo: Simon Cudby[/caption]

Red Bull KTM Factory rider Ken Roczen took the win at the opening round of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship Series in the 250MX class to the applause of a very excited Hangtown Motocross Classic race crowd.

Fresh off the success of his first West 250SX Supercross title two weeks ago, Ken Roczen showed up with great confidence in himself and his KTM 250 SX-F heading into the first moto. When the gate dropped, Roczen was able to earn a 7th place start around the first corner. He used the opening laps to quickly work his way into a podium position. From there, he continued to knock off laps quicker than anyone in the field to immediately move himself into the lead position. Once there, he continued to push forward and was able to stretch to a four second lead before crossing the checkered flag to take his first moto win of the season.

In the second moto he earned a better start and was 2nd as the riders rounded the first corner. He made a pass for the lead on Blake Baggett before the end of the first lap and maintained that position for the remainder of the race. He went on to win the race by 12 seconds over Baggett to take his first career overall 250 motocross class win.

"It feels great to get a win here," remarked Roczen. "I felt confident coming into this race and just knew I needed to get a good start to make it happen. I was able to improve my start in the second moto and hopped into the lead early on. Baggett challenged me for a while but I am glad my conditioning paid off and I was able to get my first overall. I am so thankful to the entire Red Bull KTM team for building me a great bike."

[caption id="attachment_26270" align="alignleft" width="300"] "It feels great to get a win here," remarked Ken Roczen - Photo: Simon Cudby[/caption]

Roczen's teammate, Marvin Musquin, also put together a decent ride at the Hangtown event. It was Musquin who led the first moto early on. He led until the third lap when he allowed his teammate, Roczen, and two others to make a pass. Once in 4th position, he was able to maintain his pace and hold the spot until the checkered flag.

In the second moto Musquin was sitting in 5th place before he suffered a crash a few laps in that dropped him to 9th. In a great charge through the pack he was able to climb back up to 4th place by the moto end. His 4-4 results earned him 4th overall at the first national of the year.

Next Round: Lakewood, CO - May 25, 2013

Source: KTM North America

Joey Savatgy Finishes 9th Overall At The Hangtown Motocross Classic

[caption id="attachment_26287" align="alignright" width="200"] Joey Savatgy finished 9th overall in his first-ever career 250MX professional race[/caption]

FMF/Orange Brigade/KTM rider Joey Savatgy finished 9th overall in his first-ever career 250MX professional race at the opening round of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship Series.

The Hangtown Motocross Classic marked the debut professional motocross race for the AMA Supercross Rookie of the Year, but also the debut of his new FMF/Orange Brigade/KTM Team. Joey Savatgy did not disappoint as he was able to finish inside the top ten at the first event.

He started the first moto mid-pack and was able to charge his way up into 10th position by moto end. "I wish I could have pulled a better start in the first moto," stated Savatgy. "I had to charge from the back and really fight hard for each position in the main event."

Savatgy earned a slightly better start in the second moto and finished the first lap in 12th position. A few mistakes mid-race pushed him back to 14th but he was able to recover and climb back to 11th by moto end. His 10-11 results earned him 9th overall at Hangtown.

Next Round: Lakewood, CO - May 25, 2013

Source: KTM North America

Hangtown Overview And Point Standings

Overall Results - 450MX Class

1. Ryan Villopoto - 50
   
2. Ryan Dungey - 44
   
3. James Stewart Jr. - 40
   
4. Trey Canard - 36
   
5. Justin Barcia - 32
   
6. Ryan Sipes - 27
   
7. Andrew Short - 26
   
8. Mike Alessi - 24
   
9. Tyla Rattray - 24
   
10. Weston Peick - 21
    

1. Kawasaki - 50
   
2. KTM - 44
   
3. Suzuki - 40
   
4. Honda - 36
   
5. Yamaha - 20
   

1. Ken Roczen - 50
   
2. Blake Baggett - 42
   
3. Eli Tomac - 42
   
4. Marvin Musquin - 36
   
5. Zach Osborne - 28
   
6. Kyle Cunningham - 27
   
7. Jason Anderson - 24
   
8. Jeremy Martin - 22
   
9. Joseph Savatgy - 21
   
10. Justin Hill - 20
    

1. KTM - 50
   
2. Kawasaki - 42
   
3. Honda - 42
   
4. Yamaha - 30
   
5. Suzuki - 24
   

1. Courtney Duncan - 50
   
2. Sayaka Kaneshiro - 42
   
3. T-bug Higgins - 36
   
4. Mackenzie Tricker - 35
   
5. Jacqueline Strong - 31
   
6. Alexah Pearson - 29
   
7. Mariana Balbi - 28
   
8. Sara Pettersson - 25
   
9. Hailey Larson - 23
   
10. Jessica Patterson - 22
    

1. Yamaha - 50
   
2. Honda - 42
   
3. KTM - 32
   
4. Kawasaki - 28
   
5. Suzuki - 0