Josh Grant Pulls Upset in 450 Moto 1 at Glen Helen
A 450MX field described as one of the most “wide-open” in recent memory may live up to its billing. Case in point: Josh Grant is the first moto winner of the season.
It was the best start imagineable for the JGR Yamaha team, as Josh Grant not only took the Motosport Holeshot, he also had his teammate Phil Nicoletti emerge right behind him in second. While Grant began to pull away from the rest of the field, he received some help from as teammate, as Ken Roczen had to battle Nicoletti hard for about four minutes before being able to overtake him for second place.
Roczen ultimately got the position and would spend the next 30 minutes trying to reel in Grant. Roczen finally got himself within striking distance on the final lap and applied the pressure throughout the final few turns. In an incredible battle to the line, Grant took the checkered flag with Roczen right on his back wheel for second.
Ryan Dungey was his usual consistent self, claiming the final spot on the podium.
Trey Canard – who has been one of the fastest riders in preseason testing – was on his way to a great moto, working his way around Justin Barcia and James Stewart to take over fourth place. With under seven minutes to go in the moto though, Stewart and Canard got together and both went down and got shuffled backwards to the tail-end of the top-ten. They would salvage points by moving up to sixth and seventh, respectively, by the moto’s end.
Two key riders – Justin Barcia and Andrew Short – were unable to finish after encountering bike problems late in the race.
With issues mounting for several riders, Brett Metcalfe and Weston Peick were able to capitalize. Last year, Metcalfe was racing in Canada, and Peick was a privateer. This year, they both open the season with top-five finishes on facroty rides.
Glen Helen 450 Moto 1
1. Josh Grant
2. Ken Roczen
3. Ryan Dungey
4. Brett Metcalfe
5. Weston Peick
6. James Stewart
7. Trey Canard
8. Malcolm Stewart
9. Chad Reed
10. Jake Weimer
Jeremy Martin Dominates, Contenders Falter in 250 Moto 1 at Glen Helen
Jeremy Martin is picking up right where he left off in 2013, when he was one of the strongest riders in the field at the end of the year. With Ken Roczen and Eli Tomac now out of the 250 Class, a championship title is up for grabs, and Martin has asserted himself with a dominant victory in the season’s first 250MX moto at Glen Helen – the first win of his young career.
“We still have one more moto, so we can’t celebrate just yet,” a subdued and determined Martin said on the podium following his win.
After overtaking Zach Bell – the Motosport Holeshot winner – Martin checked out and put a gap of more than 20 seconds between him and the rest of the field by the end of the race.
As for Bell, he shuffled back through the pack due to a crash after his impressive start. Bell has been limited by injuries and crashes over the last few years since he turned pro, but his race starts are always on point.
Many riders that were expected to run up front today were nowhere to be seen. Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki teammates Dean Wilson and Blake Baggett didn’t crack the top five during this race, and neither did Christophe Pourcel – this morning’s top qualifier.
Instead it was Martin’s Yamalube/Star Racing/Yamaha teammate batting his way up to second place and Jason Anderson claiming the final podium spot after passing several riders, including his chief rival from the Supercross season – Cole Seely.
One rookie who impressed by GEICO Honda’s Matt Bisceglia. After a strong start, he ran much of the race inside the top-five before ultimately dropping outside the top-ten.
Glen Helen 250 Moto 1 Results
1. Jeremy Martin
2. Cooper Webb
3. Jason Anderson
4. Cole Seely
5. Justin Bogle
6. Dean Wilson
7. Christophe Pourcel
8. Blake Baggett
9. Zach Osborne
10. Marvin Musquin