MOTO 1: Despite another strong ride from Justin Barcia, Ryan Dungey captured the checkered flag in the first 450 Class moto at the Red Bull RedBud National. With the win, Dungey has now won at least one moto in five consecutive rounds.
Justin Barcia grabbed his series-leading fifth MotoSport.com Holeshot Award of the season and had his fellow JGRMX teammates close behind him, with Phil Nicoletti and Weston Peick both inside the top four along with Barcia and Ryan Dungey. Ken Roczen rounded out the top five after the opening lap.
Barcia led the first seven laps before giving way to Dungey. (Photo: George Crosland)
About eight minutes into the moto, Nicoletti dropped outside of the top five after losing spots to Peick, Roczen and Broc Tickle. He would later end up on the ground and ultimately finished outside the top ten despite his strong start.
For the first 15 minutes of the moto, Barcia – who earned his first career 450 Class victory just one week ago at Budds Creek – was out front but he could not gain more than a few seconds of separation from Dungey. Dungey closed in around the midway mark, as the two raced side-by-side until Dungey made the pass on the inside.
Dungey has tied Eli Tomac for most moto wins in the 450 Class this season. (Photo: George Crosland)
Barcia would not go away though, holding strong for several laps. At one point, lapped riders became a factor as the two headed for LaRocco’s Leap, nearly causing Barcia to collide with Dungey after he was forced to switch lines. Instead Barcia was forced to check up, giving Dungey a bit of breathing room.
Dungey went on to win the moto by 3.2 seconds, while Barcia held off a charge from Roczen to secure second. Roczen rounded out the podium, with his teammate Broc Tickle taking fourth and Weston Peick completing the top five.
Tommy Hahn had a solid ride in this one, running the entire race inside the top ten en route to an eigth-place finish.
Roczen now sits 42 points back of DUngey in the point standings. (Photo: George Crosland)
MOTO 2: One week after earning the first moto win and the first overall victory of his 450 Class career in Lucas Oil Pro Motocross, Justin Barcia repeated the feat at the Red Bull RedBud National.
And this time, mud wasn’t a factor.
Barcia continued his string of quick starts, grabbing the MotoSport.com Holeshot Award in the first moto of the day, with Ryan Dungey sandwiched between Barcia and his JGR Yamaha teammates Phil Nicoletti and Weston Peick.
With a win in Moto 1, Dungey has won one moto at each of the last five rounds. (Photo: Amy Schaaf)
Unable to gain any separation from Dungey, Barcia led the first 15 minutes of the race until he was faced with a fierce challenge from the Red Bull KTM rider. The two raced side-by-side until Dungey was able to make a move for the lead on the inside of Barcia.
Although Barcia wouldn’t allow Dungey to open up a large gap on him, he was unable to mount a challenge. At one point, it looked like Barcia might have an opportunity to make a move as the two riders approached LaRocco’s Leap, but lapped riders came into play and forced Barcia to check up.
Dungey went on to win the moto by 3.2 seconds, while Barcia held off a charge from Roczen to secure second. Roczen finished third, ahead of his teammate Broc Tickle and Peick.
Barcia and Dungey were inseparable on the track all afternoon. (Photo: Matt Rice)
Once again in the second moto, Barcia was by far the fastest off the gate, giving him his second MotoSport.com Holeshot Award of the day and his series-leading sixth of the season. Right behind him, though, was Dungey once more.
Dungey pressed Barcia hard, never allowing the lead to exceed more than a few seconds. It forced Barcia to keep the hammer down, but the JGR Yamaha rider – whose confidence was sky-high after last week’s breakthrough – did not make any mistakes for Dungey to take advantage of. The battle went all the way down to the final lap of the race, but for the second week in a row, Barcia won the second moto to secure an overall victory.
“That was the hardest-earned win I’ve ever had because Ryan [Dungey] was there and it was within a second pretty much every single lap,” Barcia said after the race. “He closed in on me in the back sections, I pulled away on the front sections, so it all evened out. I don’t know how I kept a straight head that whole race.
“It was gnarly. He kept me honest the whole time. I just had to stay on it.”
Things are clicking right now for Barcia and JGR Yamaha. (Photo: Amy Schaaf)
With each passing week, Barcia has continued to improve as he gets his bike dialed in. Last week’s mudder at Budds Creek played right into Barcia’s hands because he was so comfortable riding a muddy track, but he was eager to prove that his victory wasn’t just some mud-induced fluke.
“I talked to Jeff Stanton this week, and I told him ‘everyone said I won this one because I’m good in the mud,’ and I wanted to back it up this week in dry conditions.”
Roczen finished third in both motos, losing some ground in the championship standings in the process. (Photo: Amy Schaaf)
Behind Barcia and Dungey, Ken Roczen finished third in the moto after a lengthy battle with Christophe Pourcel for the position. Roczen passed the Frenchman on Lap 8 to record his second podium finish of the afternoon. Pourcel would settle for fourth, while his Rockstar Husqvarna teammate Jason Anderson rounded out the top five.
Dungey (2-1) finished second overall behind Barcia, gaining seven points in the 450 Class championship standings over Roczen, who finished third overall thanks to his 3-3 moto results. Roczen now sits 44 points behind his former Red Bull KTM teammate with five rounds left in the series.
RCH Suzuki’s Broc Tickle (4-7) finished fourth overall, matching his best result of the season, and Weston Peick (5-6) also finished inside the top five for the third time this summer.
Familiar faces on the podium. (Photo: Matt Rice)
450 MOTO 1 RESULTS
1. Ryan Dungey
2. Justin Barcia
3. Ken Roczen
4. Broc Tickle
5. Weston Peick
6. Blake Baggett
7. Fredrik Noren
8. Tommy Hahn
9. Justin Brayton
10. Christophe Pourcel
11. Wil Hahn
12. Phil Nicoletti
13. Jesse Wentland
14. Kyle Chisholm
15. Kyle Cunningham
16. Ben LaMay
17. Jason Brooks
18. Jason Anderson
19. Killy Rusk
20. Heath Harrison
450 CLASS OVERALL RESULTS
1. Justin Barcia (2-1)
2. Ryan Dungey (1-2)
3. Ken Roczen (3-3)
4. Broc Tickle (4-7)
5. Weston Peick (5-6)
6. Christophe Pourcel (10-4)
7. Fredrik Noren (7-8)
8. Blake Baggett (6-9)
9. Justin Brayton (9-10)
10. Tommy Hahn (8-12)
11. Jason Anderson (18-5)
12. Phil Nicoletti (12-11)
13. Wil Hahn (11-15)
14. Kyle Chisholm (14-13)
15. Jesse Wentland (13-16)
16. Ben LaMay (16-14)
17. Killy Rusk (19-17)
18. Kyle Cunningham (15-38)
19. Heath Harrison (20-18)
20. Jason Brooks (17-29)