2014 AMA Pro Motocross Hangtown Race Results

Ken Roczen Earns First Career 450MX Victory, Jeremy Martin Sweeps Hangtown

The 2014 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, made its second and final stop in the state of California on Saturday for round two of the 12-race championship series. The 450 Class saw an all-new winner as rookie Ken Roczen captured his first career victory in the premier class, while Minnesota's Jeremy Martin extended his winning-streak to two-in-a-row at the 46th running of the GoPro Hangtown Motocross Classic.

After last weekend's season opener at southern California's Glen Helen Raceway, Red Bull KTM's Ryan Dungey held the early points lead in the 450 Class, but his teammate Roczen trailed close behind with a pair of second place finishes in his 450 Class debut. The two were poised to do battle at Hangtown but Roczen heightened the pace to a level that the veteran Dungey just couldn't match on Saturday.

And it all began in the morning's timed qualifying sessions, where Roczen laid down the fastest lap in qualifying and had the luxury of first gate choice in Moto 1. Roczen would soon build off that momentum in Moto 1, but first it was the two-time 450 Class Champion Dungey that earned the MotoSport.com Holeshot Award before Roczen stole back the lead on the opening lap.

Roczen created a gap over Dungey that couldn't be matched in the first moto, en route to his first career Pro Motocross 450 Class moto win. Behind Dungey was Team Honda Muscle Milk's Trey Canard, who jumped in behind the KTM duo early on. Canard was followed by his teammate Justin Barcia in fourth, while Yoshimura Suzuki's James Stewart rounded out the top five in Moto 1.

In Moto 2, Monster Energy Kawasaki's Jake Weimer claimed the MotoSport.com Holeshot, immediately followed by his teammate, Brett Metcalfe. Metcalfe wasted no time in getting himself out front, followed by Justin Barcia, Ken Roczen and Ryan Dungey. Metcalfe and Barcia went back and forth for the lead early on but Roczen eventually staked his claim on the lead and never looked back.

Dungey followed suit, where he quickly settled into the second place position behind Roczen. Despite a valiant charge, the round one winner finished in the runner-up position, where he surrendered his early points lead after two rounds of racing.

"Today was pretty good, I got good starts which helped out. The first and second moto kind of played out the same, got into second and Kenny [Roczen] was riding really well today. I know I can improve in a few little areas, but overall it wasn't too bad. It's going to be a long year."

It was a big day for Roczen and the KTM brand, as the world champion from Germany earned his first career overall in the 450 Class, giving KTM its first 450 Class win at Hangtown throughout the event's 46-year history. As the 2013 250 Class winner as well, Roczen adds his name to a select list of riders to ever win the Hangtown Motocross Classic in both classes. Roczen will carry the red number plate background and the points lead into round three next Saturday.

"I really had a good time out there," Roczen said. "It was good racing, I don't think I have anything to complain about. I always have done well at Hangtown and I have good memories here. This weekend I was comfortable on the bike and once you have that little bit you need, it's going good."

As the second moto wore on, the racing action became more intense as former 450 Class Champion James Stewart began pushing his way through the pack, eventually getting around Metcalfe and Barcia for third. And Canard soon followed, making up nine positions to overtake fourth place from Barcia by the end of the second moto. Canard ran down Stewart on the final lap and although he wasn't able to make the pass on Stewart in Moto 2, the Shawnee, Oklahoma native was able to secure third overall with 3-4 moto scores with an impressive charge in the second moto.

"I was trying to do the best that I could and I got more and more comfortable as the race went on," Canard said. "It feels good to ride a motorcycle that you're comfortable on and having fun. Every point is going to count come August so I'm going to make the best of every moment while I'm out there."

Stewart finished the day with 5-3 moto scores to capture fourth overall for the day, followed by Barcia in fifth with 4-5 scores. California native Weston Peick put in a season-best sixth place finish aboard his RCH Racing/Soaring Eagle Suzuki.

It was once again a marquee day for Factory Yamaha racing in the 250 Class, as the brand swept all three positions on the overall podium. Coming off Yamaha's first 250 Class victory in exactly one decade at the opening round, Yamalube/Star Racing/Yamaha's Jeremy Martin once again led the way with his second straight victory - and 1-1 sweep - of 2014.

"This is what I've been focusing on," Martin said. "Great motos today, my teammate and I went 1-2, and the Yamahas were strong. It was pretty cool for Yamaha that we swept the podium. I don't think it's been done in a long time."

Martin was once again joined on the podium by his Yamalube/Star Racing/Yamaha teammate Cooper Webb, who seemingly picked up where he left off as a front-runner at the opening round.

In the first moto, Webb battled with GEICO Honda's Justin Bogle for the second place spot, a battle that sent the Newport, North Carolina rider to the ground once. Webb bounced back, though, eventually passing Bogle to capture second place in Moto 1. There was no catching Martin, though, as he gapped the rest of the field by nearly 20 seconds.

GEICO Honda's Zach Bell captured the MotoSport.com Holeshot in the first moto, where he hung on for a top five finish behind Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Justin Hill, who took fourth in Moto 1.

While he's been extremely close in the first three races, Martin captured his first MotoSport.com Holeshot of the season in Moto 2, where he led every lap start to finish. The top two positions unfolded just as they did in the first moto, but the turn of events came in the third place position with Valli Motorsports/Yamaha's Christophe Pourcel. Pourcel, who hasn't raced a full season of Lucas Oil Pro Motocross since 2010, captured a season-best third place finish in Moto 2, which was good enough to earn the Frenchmen third overall for the day.

Justin Hill put forth a consistent effort to capture fourth overall with 4-6 moto scores, while California native Jessy Nelson rounded out the top five with moto finishes of 7-5 aboard his Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil/Honda machine.

Round 3 of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship heads to Lakewood, Colorado for the Toyota Thunder Valley National on Saturday, June 7.

Source: Pro Motocross

Ken Roczen And Ryan Dungey Finish Again 1-2 At Hangtown Motocross

Red Bull KTM factory rider Ken Roczen swept both motos at the Hangtown Classic, the second round of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship Series. He was joined on the podium by his Red Bull KTM teammate, Ryan Dungey, who went 2-2 for the day.

It was red plate holder, Ryan Dungey, who nailed the holeshot at the start of moto one. He was followed quickly by teammate Ken Roczen who made the pass for the lead on the opening lap. The two teammates pulled away from the pack as the race continued. Roczen eventually crossed the line with a comfortable lead over Dungey to take his first career 450 class moto win. Dungey finished eight seconds behind him in the runner-up spot.

"I felt really good in the first moto", stated Roczen. "I had a great start and was able to put together a solid moto. Riding mistake-free was key and I was able to do that to take my first win."

On their KTM 450 SX-F's both riders launched off the line to top five starts in the second moto with Roczen sitting 4th around the first corner while Dungey was in 5th. Approximately ten minutes into the moto, Roczen began to pressure Justin Barcia and Brett Metcalfe for the front two spots. Roczen quickly moved around Barcia on a downhill section into a right-hand corner to take 2nd place. He then began to reel in Metcalfe and made the pass stick about half a lap later. Once in the lead he never looked back and went on to take his second win of the day for a complete two-moto sweep.

Dungey followed in Roczen's footsteps and made the critical passes on both Barcia and Metcalfe shortly after Roczen moved into the lead. He then began to trail his teammate for the rest of the moto but was unable to close the gap on Roczen. He rode a consistent pace to finish 2nd in the moto and 2nd overall for the day.

Now two rounds into the series, Roczen holds the points lead and will wear the red plate at the next round while Dungey is five points behind him in 2nd place.

Next Round: June 7, 2014 - Thunder Valley, Lakewood, CO

Source: KTM North America

James Stewart Podiums At Hangtown Motocross

Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing's James Stewart stepped it up this weekend at the Hangtown Motocross Classic, picking-up his first moto podium result at round two of the AMA Pro Motocross Championships and racing his Yoshimura Suzuki RM-Z450 to fourth-place overall at the famous Sacramento race track in California.

The weekend's first 30-minute moto saw Stewart get a good start on his Yoshimura Suzuki RM-Z450 and battle for a podium position before eventually finishing fifth. In the second moto, he got a better start but struggled early on before finding his rhythm. In time, though, Stewart became more and more comfortable on the choppy-but-flowing track and finished third. Together, the combined moto results gave him fourth overall for the day.

"The first moto we struggled a little bit," said Stewart. "It was kind of like last weekend at Glen Helen Raceway, where we struggled with bike set-up. In the second moto, I got a good jump and came into the first corner pretty good. On the back half of the track, I lost a lot of positions on that first lap. But then I kind of settled into a pace. We've been making improvements to get better and that moto was, and it was great to get up on the podium. I felt pretty good, the best I have in four motos. I think if we can keep making improvements like this, we're going to be pretty tough to beat. Every moto, we've gotten a little bit better and I'm looking forward to keeping that going in Colorado."

Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing's next race is round three of the 2014 AMA Pro Motocross Championships on Saturday, June 7th, at the Thunder Valley National in Lakewood, CO.

Source: Team Suzuki

Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Justin Hill Narrowly Misses The Podium In Sacramento

Just outside Sacramento, California, Round 2 of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship roared through Prairie City SVRA for the 46th Annual Hangtown Classic on Saturday. Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rebounded from a difficult season opener to finish fourth overall in the 250 class with Justin Hill finishing with a 4-6 moto score, while Blake Baggett finished sixth in the first moto, but ran into bike problems in the second moto and finished 14th overall. In the 450 class, Monster Energy Kawasaki's Jake Weimer rode strong and consistent in both motos including grabbing the holeshot on his Kawasaki KX450F in the second moto to finish seventh overall. Brett Metcalfe started near the front and led three laps in Moto 2 eventually finishing eighth overall with Chad Reed rounding out the top-10 on his Discount Tire/TwoTwo Motorsports Kawasaki.

So Close
For the second straight week the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team has narrowly missed out on scoring an overall podium finish. This week, Hill put his KX250F up front in the first moto and charged until the last lap to finish on the rear wheel of third place. In the second moto, he was in podium position until a crash around the 20-minute mark set him back. His 4-6 moto score awarded him fourth overall and he now sits 10th overall in the points standings.

"I had it," said Hill. "I felt really good today and was able to push all the way to the end of the motos, but came up just short. I had a pretty big get off as I was reeling in the top-three and it knocked the wind out of me. We've been working hard during the week to be up front on the weekend and we will only continue to progress from here."

Strong Throughout
Weimer made sure his KX450F never left the top-10 on Saturday and finished the day as the top Kawasaki in seventh overall. Moto 1 saw him battle throughout the entire 30-minute moto, picking off riders towards the end as his fastest lap time came on lap 14 of 17. In the second moto, Weimer grabbed the holeshot and led briefly before his teammate overtook him. Weimer lost some positions in the early laps, but kept his lap times consistent all the way to the finish.

"I need to work on my intensity early in the motos," said Weimer. "Getting the holeshot was great, but it took me a few laps to get into my groove and that's what cost me. I'm happy with the weekend and know what to work on for Thunder Valley."

Fitting in Nicely
Metcalfe started the day by qualifying fifth, giving him a great gate pick for the first moto. The Australian started up front and battled for position the entire race, ultimately finishing sixth. The second moto it was Monster Energy Kawasaki rounding the first turn in first and second, with Metcalfe making a pass for the lead on Lap 1. He battled for the lead for the first four laps and looked strong up front until he came together with another rider for third place and stalled. Metcalfe recovered to finish eighth overall and sits fifth in points.

"Each week I'm more and more comfortable," said Metcalfe. "My starts were on point and my speed is there. Every time I'm on the bike I continue to improve and am really excited to gather some momentum as the season continues."

Tough Break
Baggett did not have things go his way at Hangtown as he couldn't seem to catch a break. In the first moto he was within the top-10 off the start but then found himself on the ground on Lap 2 and remounted in 18th. He proceeded to find ways through the field, passing multiple riders each lap and crossed the checkered flag in sixth place. Happy with salvaging a top-10 finish, Baggett looked to finish strong in the second moto but he ran into bike problems around the halfway mark and was unable to finish the moto.

"It just wasn't my day," said Baggett. "I felt like I had the speed to be up front today but my starts were not what they needed to be. Coming from the back, I felt strong and was finding some good lines. We'll start fresh next weekend."

Mile High City
Round 3 takes Monster Energy Kawasaki to Lakewood, Colorado, just outside Denver next Saturday. For two straight weeks Kawasaki riders have tied in points for the overall podium but have been rewarded fourth place. Monster Energy Kawasaki is looking to change that when they arrive in Colorado for the Thunder Valley National. The potential for variable weather combined with the high elevation could present a challenging track, but Monster Energy Kawasaki will look to rise above both the conditions and the competition.

Source: Kawasaki Racing

Jessy Nelson Shines In Sacramento For Team TLD/Lucas Oil/Honda

Round two of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross series took place in Sacramento this weekend at the Hangtown facility. It was a weekend of bumps and bruises and ups and downs, literally, for the Troy Lee Designs / Lucas Oil / Honda squad. When it was all said and done, Jessy Nelson posted the team's top finish and it happened to be one of the better rides of his young career as well.

In the 450 class TLD / MavTV rider Malcolm Stewart opened the first moto up in twelfth position. He moved forward throughout the moto to seventh spot where he ran much of the race until he crashed late in the moto. He would finish in tenth position.

Moto two saw Stewart with a better start, around eighth as he came through the first turn. Malcolm put together a solid moto for seventh and ninth overall on the day. Another top ten for Malcolm isn't bad, but he is ready to get inside the top five.

In the 250 ranks TLD / Lucas Oil / Honda's Cole Seely qualified second quickest and looked to be ready for another podium finish. His day would go sideways early, however. On the second lap, Cole ran into the back of a downed rider and crashed, bending his radiator in the process. After a stop in the pits to assess the damage, Cole could only manage a 32nd in the moto.

The second time around he started mid-pack but put on an amazing charge to get to sixth place late in moto. Unfortunately a bad crash would mean the end of the race for Cole and he would not finish. Luckily he was not injured.

TLD / Lucas Oil / Honda rider Jessy Nelson started outside the top ten in the opening moto, but he put his head down and moved up to seventh. He had a similar start in moto two, and moved up to fifth after some relentless battles with other riders for that position. He would be rewarded for his grit with a fifth overall on the day.

Shane McElrath did not race at Hangtown. A bad practice crash earlier in the week left him with a badly bruised back. Shane attempted to get the blood drained from his back and ride practice, but it was too painful. He will miss next weekend's race in Colorado and return to action when he is 100% ready to compete. Get well soon, Shane.

The Troy Lee Designs / Lucas Oil / Honda riders head to Denver this weekend with renewed focus, and ready to fight. Be sure to stop by the team transporter to meet the riders and get an autographed poster.

Source: Troy Lee Designs

Jason Anderson Overcomes Mistakes At Hangtown

Rockstar Energy Racing and Jason Anderson headed north to the 46th annual Hangtown Motocross Classic in Rancho Cordova, CA for round 2 of the outdoor season. After just missing a podium by less than a lap at Glen Helen, Anderson was eager to line up again. He wouldn't be alone this time though as Joey Savatgy made his return to racing after sitting out the entire Supercross season with injury.

After a bit of a heartbreak at round 1, Jason was still able to keep his head up with a positive attitude heading into Hangtown. That's something he's been able to constantly do throughout 2014 when he is struck by adversity. Things were looking very good after the final 250 qualifying practice when he put himself on the board with the 2nd fastest time. The times from the first practice were faster, but did not even come close to mimicking what the track would be like come race time.

This particular track has always been known for being very rough and extremely difficult. It may not have the biggest bumps, but it can definitely boast the most inconsistent terrain due to the amount of rice hulls brought in by the truck load. It is a suspension technicians nightmare as there is no way to make any bike work around the whole track.

As the gate dropped for the first moto, Anderson got his best start of the year thus far by several positions. He knows the need to strike fast on the first lap and not let the leaders get too far away. Jason made an aggressive move to dive into a rut and make a pass, but lost his front end when he hit a slick spot going in. He was then hit from behind costing him more time. He remounted in about last place. Even though he had another little mistake mid moto, he was still able to climb back into the top ten by the end. A very commendable result considering the circumstances.

JA didn't have much time to recover after his fierce moto 1 battle, as the riders only have a short gap in between. His gate pick in the 2nd go around wouldn't be as good as the first and it showed in the result of his start. He moved through the pack once again and was able to finish a solid 4th place. With the toughness of the track claiming some of his top competitors, Anderson's efforts moved him up into 6th overall in the series standings.

Jason Anderson:
"Hangtown was alright and I ended up 6th. I just had a bad first moto. I regrouped for the 2nd moto and got 4th. Not too bad of a day, but I'm just looking to progress."

Joey Savatgy was very excited to finally compete aboard his Rockstar Energy Racing KTM for the first time since joining the team for the '14 season. He hasn't been able to catch a break from the injury bug for quite some time. This weekend not only marked his first race for the team, but also his first in nearly a year. Coming back from a shoulder injury on what could be the toughest course on that joint to do so, was going to be tough and he knew it.

He clearly did the best he could and even ran with the front pack for several laps in both motos. He showed that he still has the speed to be up there but the day clearly took it's toll on him and his shoulder. In the end though, he finished without any crashes and left the track healthy and eager to continue to improve.

Joey Savatgy:
"My day, I guess was positive, I stayed off the ground both motos. The first moto I got a 14th. The second moto I'm not even sure what I got. I started fading and my shoulder was hurting. Still a positive day, made it through all the laps and going to build off that for next weekend."

The team will leave California for Round 3 and mile high elevation in Lakewood, CO next weekend. Anderson will look to have a good day with 2 solid motos and get himself back on the podium. Savatgy will move forward racing himself into shape as his shoulder heals and gets stronger throughout the week.

Source: Rockstar Energy

Marvin Musquin Earns 7th At Hangtown Motocross Classic

Red Bull KTM Factory rider Marvin Musquin earned 7th overall in the 250 Motocross class at the second round of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship Series held at Prairie City OHV Park.

Marvin Musquin had a decent jump off the line in the first moto and was sitting inside the top five on the first lap. While in 4th about halfway through the lap, the 3rd place rider crashed in front of him and Musquin had no place to go and also crashed into the rider. Musquin was able to rebound in 18th position and used the remainder of the moto to gain back positions lost. At the end of the race, he had moved past nine riders and earned 9th overall in the first moto.

In the second moto, Musquin had a worse start and was 10th around the first corner. On his KTM 250 SX-F he quickly picked up two positions before suffering a crash a few laps into the race. He again recovered quickly but had a lot of work to do to move back into the top ten. At the end of the moto, he had charged up to 7th place. His 9-7 results earned him 7th overall for the day.

"I am still having a little bit of trouble with my knee but it will improve the more I train and race during the week. I am happy to have an improvement on my results from the last week and hope to be closer to the top five in Thunder Valley", stated Musquin.

Next Round: June 7, 2014 - Thunder Valley, Lakewood, CO

Source: KTM North America

GEICO Honda Hangtown Report

Lightning-quick motocross rider Zach Bell led the stalwart GEICO Honda contingent with an eighth-place overall finish Saturday at the Hangtown Motocross Classic.

Bell finished strong in both motos, taking fifth and 12th under hot and dusty conditions, placing him just ahead of teammates Matt Bisceglia and Justin Bogle in the day's overall standings.

"I'm still really excited about my performance, especially in that first moto," Bell said. "Its been a long time coming for me with all of my injuries and setbacks. When you're beat up, it's kind of hard to be in top shape and to be up front in contention, but I'm working on it.

"I got a nice holeshot (in Moto 1) and was leading for a while. After a few laps, I fell back to second for a while and then I dropped back to third. I made a few mistakes allowing some guys to get by me, but I rode strong and finished in fifth. In the second moto I missed a shift, so I didn't get a good start. That made the entire race a lot harder because I was playing catch-up.

"We are going to do some good training this week and work on being more consistent. The first moto really wore me out but it was better than last week. The track today was really rutted out and a little guy like me gets tossed around in the deep ruts. No matter what, I'm glad this team is still sticking behind me because I love this group."

After getting shut out on the start of the first moto, Bisceglia steadily moved himself back up to a 13th-place finish. He recorded an eighth-place in the second moto, landing him ninth overall.

"In the first moto I got pinched off in the start," Bisceglia said. "I didn't do well in practice, so I got a horrible gate pick right on the inside. I think I was in 25th or 30th after the start but I was able to come back to 13th. I was happy to be able to get back up in the pack.

"In the second moto I got a better start and I rode in fourth for a while. I felt like my speed and my times were really good until about the halfway point. After halfway, I got pretty hot and faded back a little bit. I'm happy with how the first part of the race went, but I need to work on the second half of the race and improve my time. Once I get the second half of the race down, I think I will be in good shape to bring in top-five finishes every week.

"Overall I am happier with the second moto, but I want to keep improving and head into Denver healthy. The track today was gnarly just like it was last weekend. It was also pretty hot out there and the track was really choppy. It was good but I'm just going to build for next weekend and train hard."

After recording a podium finish in Moto 1, Bogle couldn't finish out his day following a crash partway through Moto 2. Even so, his 35th-place finish in Moto 2 combined with a third-place result from earlier in the day carried him to 10th overall.

"The first moto was good," Bogle said. "I got a great start and rode most of the race in second place behind Jeremy Martin. I ended up third with the first podium I have had in a couple of years in Motocross. I was pretty happy about that and I felt like I had great momentum.

"In the second moto I had a really good start and I was feeling good. I was running in the top five but then I had a gnarly crash down one of the hills. My bike was pretty tweaked up and I wasn't in the best area to get back up and get going. I tried to get back up and ride, but I pulled off the track and decided to call it.

"It wasn't the best day but I'll go to Colorado and try to get back on the box. The heat today wasn't too bad; it was warm but not horrible. The track today was pretty tough though. I struggle here every year but I turned it around in the first moto, which felt good."

Next stop for the GEICO Honda 250 MX riders is the Thunder Valley Nationals, next Saturday, in Lakewood, Colo.

Source: GEICO Honda

JGRMX Hangtown Report

Round two of the 2014 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship Series was held in Sacramento, Calif. It was the 46th running of the annual Hangtown Classic. MAVTV aired the first moto live, and the second moto was broadcast live by the NBC Sports Network. First motos are always streamed live on promotocross.com and both motos from each round are archived there as well.

Justin Brayton continues to recover from a knee injury and will miss a few rounds while he heals. Josh Grant and Phil Nicoletti, with support from St. Lawrence Radiology and N-FAB raced for the Toyota/Yamaha/JGRMX team at Hangtown.

Nicoletti began the first moto just inside the top-10 with Grant 11th on lap one. Nicoletti and another rider inadvertently collided on the opening lap sending Nicoletti to the mechanics area to straighten his shifter which was badly bent. He checked in 39th on lap two but began a forward charge. Meanwhile Grant hovered around the tenth position ultimately finishing ninth with Nicoletti having made his way up to 23rd at the checkers.

Grant and Nicoletti both started inside the top-10 in moto two, however Grant twisted his ankle badly on lap six, forcing him to pull out of the race. Nicoletti went on to finish 11th, and Grant was credited with 39th. Grant was scored 13th overall, and Nicoletti 15th overall for the day.

Round three of the 12-race series will be held at Thunder Valley Raceway in Lakewood, Colo. June 7. MAVTV will broadcast the first moto live at 3:00 p.m. (EST). The second moto will air live on the NBC Sports Network at 5:00 p.m. (EST). The first moto will also stream live on promotocross.com.

Source: Joe Gibbs Racing

Hangtown Overview And Point Standings

450MX Class Moto 1 Results - Race Time: 35:12.221

1. Ken Roczen - 94
   
2. Ryan Dungey - 89
   
3. Trey Canard - 72
   
4. James Stewart - 66
   
5. Brett Metcalfe - 61
   
6. Justin Barcia - 52
   
7. Weston Peick - 52
   
8. Jacob Weimer - 52
   
9. Malcolm Stewart - 51
   
10. Josh Grant - 43
    

1. KTM - 97
   
2. Honda - 72
   
3. Suzuki - 67
   
4. Kawasaki - 62
   
5. Yamaha - 57