2019 Budds Creek Motocross | Race Report

2019 BUDDS CREEK MOTOCROSS | COMPLETE COVERAGE

Eleven down, one to go. The 2019 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship is in the closing stages, but it wouldn’t be complete without a trip to Budds Creek in Maryland, a venue that’s been on the calendar for 30 years. Known for the sand-clay soil mix and a twisty layout that is a true test of a rider’s technique as one should “go slow to go fast.” Though scenic, the track can be a sauna in the late summer with warm temperatures, high humidity, and little airflow due to the trees that line the valley. And that’s exactly what happened this time, as the heat index during the first motos was into the triple-digits and it took a toll on riders in both classes.

250 Class

Back injuries, big crashes, and bike setup issues have hampered Shane McElrath through 2019. Never quite himself, it was expected that the Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM rider would coast through the last part of the season and reset for 2020. But when a good start put McElrath near the front of the field in 250 Moto One, he decided to push the pace, followed Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha rookie Ty Masterpool for four laps, made the pass, and pulled clear to an eight-second advantage. The second race was much the same, as McElrath again got in the lead group, followed another Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha rider in Mitchell Oldenburg for a lap, made the pass, and won by seven seconds. After the race, McElrath seemed a little surprised by the outcome of the day and said that it never felt like he was pushing or trying too hard.

With McElrath’s 1-1 sweep, attention was turned to the title-fight between Adam Cianciarulo and Dylan Ferrandis. After a tie on points day at Unadilla, both riders knew it would take something drastic in the last four motos to shift the standings. Cianciarulo actually 250 Moto One in second place and initially looked like he was going to be the rider to hassle Masterpool for the lead until a mistake around a wide line knocked his flow out of sorts and he dropped to fifth place. Once he was back in the groove, the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki mounted a charge and pushed to a second-place moto finish. Ferrandis, meanwhile, had a terrible start to the moto and was outside the top-15 on the opening lap. With smart lines and the third-fastest average lap time, the Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha rider worked up to fourth place at the finish.

Since Cianciarulo added a few more points to his margin, Ferrandis knew a big finish in Moto Two would be critical. Less than stellar starts put both riders deep in the field and set the stage for a battle. Ferrandis was close to Cianciarulo in the opening laps until an issue with Mitchell Falk caused Ferrandis to nearly crash. He quickly made up for the incident, reeled Cianciarulo back in, and made the first “aggressive” pass of the summer when he revved his engine and pushed Cianciarulo wide in a turn. This was pretty much the end of the battle between the two because Ferrandis went on to finish fourth place and Cianciarulo a distant fifth. As for the overall results, Cianciarulo’s 2-5 finishes put him second overall on the day while Ferrandis’ 4-4 put him fourth overall. There are 30-points between the two with only two motos left.

Justin Cooper’s day was solid, with 6-2 finishes for third overall, but the 60-point gap between the leader and the Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha rider puts him out of championship contention.

450 Class

Budds Creek had been on Eli Tomac’s radar for weeks, as the Monster Energy Kawasaki was eager to clinch the championship a round early for the first time in his 450 career. His ride at Unadilla made that seem less likely, but when the gates dropped at Budds Creek, he put in another season-defining ride. Tomac pressured and passed Justin Bogle for the lead on the opening lap, then clicked off consistent and quick laps that put him nearly 14-seconds clear of the back. The second race was much the same because Tomac led all 17-laps, was never hassled by another rider and won the race by nearly 15-seconds. With the 1-1 sweep to Musquin’s 3-3 finish, Tomac scored the necessary points to clinch his third consecutive 450 MX title. Unaware of the accomplishment until he went by the mechanic area on the last lap, Tomac relished in the moment on the podium with the Monster Energy Kawasaki team.

Jason Anderson was solid in Moto One and the fourth-place finish showed the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider had upped his pace and fitness in recent weeks. The second moto was a huge ride for Anderson, because he put himself in a good position at the start, outlasted the others in the heat, and finished second in the moto. With this, Anderson claimed second overall.

3-3 finishes for third overall. Marvin Musquin’s day was solid all around, but it was not enough to keep the Red Bull KTM rider in title contention. So-so starts forced Musquin to push his way up the pack and his motos were a blur of passes and fast laps. After the race, Musquin seemed resigned to the title outcome but said that he never felt like he was in the fight with Tomac.

Ken Roczen’s motos were a mix. The Team Honda HRC rider put in a solid ride in Moto One, as he attempted to latch on to Tomac in the early laps and stayed in second place all the way to the finish line. But the warm weather clearly took a toll in the second race, because the illness-stricken rider slid from second to seventh in the middle of the moto.