At last, the 2015 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship is nearly upon us. It seems that we hear some variation of the same refrain – this might be the deepest field we’ve seen in ages – every season, but there is a lot of intrigue in the 450 Class roster this year that could make this a very memorable season. This is a talented field loaded with questions – What’s Baggett capable of on a 450? Will Peick be a podium threat outdoors? Pourcel back in the premier class? – that will be exciting to see answered.
Last year’s championship race developed into a two-horse showdown but ended up being one of the most exciting title fights in recent years, with the battle between Red Bull KTM teammates Ken Roczen and Ryan Dungey going down to the final moto of the season. When the dust settled, only 14 points separated the duo, and Roczen’s rookie season culminated in a 450MX championship.
At 20 years old, it looked like Roczen was just getting started – was he taking the mantle as “the guy to beat” for championships for years to come?
It’s been a season of change for Roczen since then. At the end of his championship-winning summer, he left Red Bull KTM to join the young RCH Suzuki team (now in its third year) owned by Ricky Carmichael and Carey Hart, leaving both he and Dungey as the clear alpha dogs on their respective teams – no more 1A, 1B situation.
Roczen’s Suzuki will be adorned with the #1 plate he earned last year. (Photo: Matt Rice)
The early returns were great. Roczen won two of the first three Supercross races in 2015, and the hype about him taking over became looking more and more palatable.
A few weeks into the season, Roczen also changed training plans, parting ways with Aldon Baker – one of the most intense trainers in the sport – and opting to do his own thing. Meanwhile, with a spot now open at Baker’s facility, Dungey decided to take advantage of the opportunity and join Baker’s training program.
Then came the ankle injury for Roczen. He originally injured it during a February race, then re-aggravated it a few weeks later. The young German ultimately decided to sit out the rest of the Supercross season and focus on returning to defend his Lucas Oil Pro Motocross title.
While he was out, Dungey caught fire. He ended the Supercross season with eight total wins, won the championship by 85 points and carries all sorts of momentum into Hangtown.
Dungey will lead the charge for Red Bull KTM this season. (Photo: Red Bull KTM)
Even with the time away from racing, Roczen says that his ankle isn’t 100% healthy yet. “The ankle’s gonna take a little bit longer,” he told our crew. “I want to ride smart and not just [hurt] my foot again in the first race.”
While 2015 may play out similarly to last year – with Dungey and Roczen battling week-in and week-out for a title – there are other riders who should press them for wins, and possibly even a championship, especially with Roczen still not 100%. Foremost among them: GEICO Honda’s Eli Tomac.
Tomac finished fifth overall in 450MX points last year as a rookie despite missing the first four rounds due to injury. He already has a victory – a 1-1 sweep at Spring Creek last summer – and now that he enters the season healthy, he will be a factor if he can match the consistency seen from Roczen and Dungey last year.
Despite what seem like mounting odds – the ankle injury, Dungey’s momentum, a strong field of riders looking to vie for wins – Roczen feels confident in his ability to compete for another title this year. “I’m gonna have a target on my back this year, but I’m mentally strong,” he said. “No matter what, I’m gonna put in as much effort as possible because I want to defend the championship.”
The Season So Far…
With title hopefuls like Roczen and Trey Canard sidelined late in the season, Dungey was able to run away with the Supercross title, and the door was opened for several solid riders – Tomac, Cole Seely, Weston Peick – to emerge as consistent podium threats at the end of the year.
2015 Supercross 450 Class Point Standings
1. Ryan Dungey, 390
2. Eli Tomac, 305
3. Cole Seely, 277
4. Chad Reed, 226
5. Blake Baggett, 223
6. Trey Canard, 204
7. Jason Anderson, 200
8. Broc Tickle, 194
9. Andrew Short, 180
10. Weston Peick, 160
2015 Supercross Total Wins
Ryan Dungey, 8
Eli Tomac, 3
Trey Canard, 2
Ken Roczen, 2
Cole Seely, 1
Chad Reed, 1
Off the Gate
Several notable names – including a few riders who would be title contenders – will be absent from Hangtown or other races this summer for reasons ranging from injury to suspension to racing in other countries.
#2 Ryan Villopoto (overseas) – The two-time 450MX champion decided to forego both American racing series this year, instead heading to Europe to contest the MXGP series.
#7 James Stewart (suspension) –JS7 is in the midst of a 16-month suspension from the FIM stemming from a failed drug test during the 2014 Supercross season. A recent attempt to appeal was unsuccessful. Although he is eligible to return after his suspension ends on August 11th, it’s highly unlikely that we will see the Yoshimura Suzuki rider race any Nationals until 2016.
#41 Trey Canard (broken arm) – Things had really been clicking for Canard since late last summer, but at the Detroit Supercross race in March, Canard landed on the back of Jake Weimer and broke his arm in the crash. He’s been off the bike for awhile, and the American Honda team has yet to update his status for the Nationals, but he’s expected to miss some time to start the season as he continues to recover.
Canard won his first 450MX overall last year at Utah, but his status for this season is up in the air. (Photo: George Crosland)
#29 Andrew Short (broken kneecap) – The BTO Sports KTM rider had surgery on his knee about two weeks ago and will start the season on the sidelines. He finished sixth in 450MX points last year.
#15 Dean Wilson (torn ACL, MCL) – After signing with Red Bull KTM in the offseason, Wilson was on track to make his second attempt at moving up to the 450MX Class. However he is currently recovering from a torn ACL and MCL sustained in January.
#800 Mike Alessi (overseas) – The MotoConcepts team is taking an unconventional approach to their summer plans. Alessi will do a pair of MXGP races in Europe in May, then return to North America where he plans to split time between the U.S. and Canadian Nationals. The team has not yet announced which Lucas Oil Pro Motocross races he’ll enter.
#18 Davi Millsaps (termination) – Millsaps had been riding for Monster Energy Kawasaki during Supercross, but the team terminated his contract just weeks before the start of the outdoor season. He is reportedly working on a plan to race this summer, although he has not announced any details yet.
#24 Brett Metcalfe (Canadian Nationals) – After placing fourth overall in 450MX points while filling in for Villopoto last year, Metcalfe is headed back to Canada, where he won the MX1 title two years ago.
#34 Malcolm Stewart (kidney) – A member of the GEICO Honda team this year, the younger Stewart brother raced the 250 Class in Supercross. However he is not expected to race Lucas Oil Pro Motocross this summer. Last year, while riding in the 450MX Class, Stewart suffered kidney issues as a result of severe dehydration.
New Faces
Last year’s 450MX rookie class was one for the ages, as Roczen and Tomac both made an immediate impact in their first season in the class. While that’s a pretty high bar to surpass, this year’s class has plenty of talent as well.
#4 Blake Baggett (Yoshimura Suzuki) – With James Stewart suspended, Baggett will be Yoshimura Suzuki’s lone rider in the series. He made some noise during his rookie 450 Class Supercross campaign this year, finishing fifth overall in points (much to the surprise of some), and considering that he’s historically been a better rider outdoors – remember, he beat out Tomac and Roczen for a 250MX championship just three years ago – Baggett certainly enters the season as one of the biggest wild cards in the premier class.
Baggett is in his first season with Yoshimura Suzuki. (Photo: Yoshimura Suzuki)
#14 Cole Seely (American Honda) – During the Supercross season, it was Seely asserting himself as the top rookie thanks to five podium finishes and his first career win in the premier class. Unlike Baggett though, Seely has always fared better indoors. Is this the year he carries his Supercross success over to the Nationals?
#21 Jason Anderson (Rockstar Husqvarna) – Last summer, Anderson broke through for his first career moto win in the 250MX Class. He’s still on the same team this year for his move up to the 450 Class, but the team has switched to Husqvarnas this season. Anderson has been training with Aldon Baker in Florida alongside Dungey.
#377 Christophe Pourcel (Rockstar Husqvarna) – A deal that came together just three weeks before the start of the season brings Pourcel back to Lucas Oil Pro Motocross, this time atop a 450, and makes him Anderson’s teammate. We last saw Pourcel on a 450 in 2011 when he rode for the MotoConcepts team – he pulled off mid-race at the second round and brought that experiment to an end. How will things go this time around?
Old Faces, New Places
Last year’s offseason brought about a myriad of team changes for some top-level riders, including the 2014 champion of the class.
#1 Ken Roczen (RCH Suzuki) – As detailed above, the biggest team switch involves Roczen leaving Red Bull KTM after his 450MX championship season to join RCH. Roczen clicked off a pair of wins early in the Supercross season with his new team but sat out the second half of the season with an ankle injury.
#51 Justin Barcia (JGR/Toyota/Yamaha) – Another rider slowed by injury during the Supercross season, Barcia will look to get back on track outdoors. The former Honda rider was a consistent podium contender in 2013 but only raced two rounds of Lucas Oil Pro Motocross last summer before undergoing ankle surgery and sitting out the rest of the season.
Barcia is one of two new riders under the JGR tent this year. (Photo: JGR/Toyota/Yamaha)
#23 Weston Peick (JGR/Toyota/Yamaha) – The former-privateer-turned-factory-rider parlayed last summer’s success with RCH into a full-time gig with JGR this year. Peick battled injuries early in the Supercross season but took a huge step forward once he got healthy, finishing on the podium at two of the last three races. He’s always raced well outdoors – even as a privateer – leaving him as a rider to keep an eye on this season.
#48 Wil Hahn (Monster Energy Kawasaki) – Injuries have been a recurring theme for Hahn – who is in his first season with the factory Kawasaki team – over the last year. Most recently, arm and back injuries suffered at the opening round ended his 2015 Supercross season. He’s been gearing up for a return and plans to race Hangtown, which would be his first Lucas Oil Pro Motocross race in the 450 Class.
#33 Josh Grant (TwoTwo Motorsports/Discount Tire) – This is the first year that Chad Reed’s team is fielding a second rider. Grant was strong late in the Supercross season and let’s not forget, he won the very first moto of the season last year at Glen Helen while riding for JGR.
#10 Justin Brayton (BTO Sports KTM) – The former JGR rider will carry the torch for the BTO Sports KTM team while Short recovers from injury.
#39 Fredrik Noren (MotoSport/GPI/Honda) – The Swedish privateer won the hearts of motocross fans last year when he was rewarded with a fill-in spot on the American Honda team. Noren had knee surgery a few weeks ago to fix a meniscus tear but plans to race Hangtown with the MotoSport/GPI/Honda team.
#58 Killy Rusk (Cycle Trader/Rock River/Yamaha) – Rusk finished 19th in 450MX points last year as a privateer. This year he was only planning to race the first two rounds, but a deal with the Rock River team came together just a few weeks before the start of the season.
Familiar Surroundings
#5 Ryan Dungey (Red Bull KTM) – Dungey is second on the all-time wins list (31) and all-time career podiums list (55). He has never finished worse than second overall in points since joining the 450MX Class in 2010. One of the most consistent riders in the series, he also brings tons of momentum from his Supercross campaign.
#3 Eli Tomac (GEICO Honda) – In 2013, Tomac outdueled Roczen for a 250MX championship. Now that he’ll enter a 450MX campaign healthy for the first time, will the GEICO Honda rider rise to the ranks of a title threat in the premier class?
Tomac hopes to be in the thick of the title fight this year. (Photo: Matt Rice)
#22 Chad Reed (TwoTwo Motorsports/Discount Tire) – Chad Reed is back with his own team. He finished outside the top ten in 450MX points last year but is coming off a nice Supercross campaign in which he won a race and finished fourth overall.
#20 Broc Tickle (RCH Suzuki) – Tickle was unable to race last summer due to a back injury. He’s back and is expected to be a weekly fixture inside the top ten.
#46 Phil Nicoletti (JGR/Toyota/Yamaha) – Nicoletti served as a fill-in rider during the Supercross season, and his services were put to use with Barcia and Peick both missing races. He’s expected to race the full schedule of Nationals as the team’s third rider.
The 2015 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship kicks off Saturday, May 16th at Hangtown. First motos will be televised live on MAVTV, and second motos will be live on NBCSN (click here for the full TV schedule). You can also stream all the motos – plus the second practice session and the pre-race show – live online though ProMotocross.com and NBC Sports Live Extra.