RedBud proved not too kindly to MotoSport riders so maybe Budds Creek National, which celebrates 25 years of hosting Motocross on Saturday, offers a bit more likeable conditions.
Budds Creek is Round 7 of the 2014 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross series and represents the start of the second half of the season. Much can happen between now and the end of August but so far only three riders have more than 200 points and a rookie seems destined to grab the title.
As for MotoSport riders, Weston Peick endured his first crash of the series last week in Moto 1 which kept him from riding in Moto 2. The lack of points dropped him from a competitive sixth-place in the Championship standings to ninth. If he can bounce back and ride like he has most of the season, Peick can get right back into the Top 7.
Weston Peick
Jimmy Albertson showed some promise in Round 5 after switching to a KTM when he landed a season best 13th in Moto 1. RedBud was a different story as he finished no higher than 18th for 21st overall. Tucker Saye did not post his usual fast qualifying lap times but instead settled for the Consolation Race where he took fifth. Nick Wey, who took 18th at RedBud in his first race of the season, is expected to race again at Budds Creek.
Jimmy Albertson
The status on Davi Millsaps, who rides for the MotoSport sponsored Rockstar Energy KTM team, remains uncertain. Millsaps was expected to return for Round 4 and shake-up the top riders. He has yet to race this season and was thought to be healthy after sitting out the 2014 Supercross season because of a knee injury. No word on whether he'll ride on Saturday.
Rounding out the rest, rookie Ken Roczen is now a full Moto ahead of his Red Bull KTM teammate Ryan Dungey in the Championship standings. Roczen has six Moto wins, including two sweeps and four overalls to push his points lead to 26 over Dungey, who has not won an overall since Round 1 when he passed Roczen in the final moments in Moto 2 to secure the win.
Trey Canard holds on to third place but can't seem to get a break when it comes to crossing the finish line first. He's taken second place a couple of times but no overalls higher than third. James Stewart turned in solid riding efforts in Rounds 4 and 5 and squeezed past Canard in the points standings but a crash last week left him in 39th for Moto 1 and he managed to take 12th in Moto 2 for 17th overall. Canard's 2-4 finishes at RedBud pushed him 30 points over Stewart.
However, Canard now has to deal with an obviously healthy Eli Tomac who took third overall in Round 5 and second overall in Round 6. Both results helped push Canard off the podium. Though Tomac is unlikely to compete for a spot on the final podium he can take away points from Canard, Dungey and Roczen if his stellar riding holds up.
Jason Anderson
In the 250 class, Jason Anderson who rides for the MotoSport-sponsored Rockstar Energy KTM team, struggled a bit at the beginning of the season but has taken third overall in the last two of three rounds. The reigning 250 class 2014 AMA Supercross champion is in seventh-place in the Championship standings and is only 14 points from a Top 5 spot.
Joey Savatgy, Anderson's teammate, is also proving to be a podium contender. He accomplished a rare feat at RedBud by crossing the line in 40th place - last - in Moto 1 and taking the MotoSport.com Holeshot - first - in Moto 2. In Moto 1 he raced by 21 other riders to finish in 19th place and earn the RC Hard Charger Award. He took 15th overall at RedBud and sits 15th in the Championship standings.
Joey Savatgy
Elsewhere in the 250s, Jeremy Martin returned to his winning ways after taking five straight Motos to start the season and then went five straight without winning a Moto until RedBud. He took the overall with a 1-2 finish and extended his Championship points lead over Cooper Webb to 23. Blake Baggett who won four straight Motos mid-season is closing in on Webb and sits in third place only five points from second.
Moto 1 starts at 1 p.m. (EST) Saturday at Budds Creek National. Buy tickets online or at the Motocross Park, 27963 Budds Creek Road in Mechanicsville, MD.
2014 Motocross Season Standings
450 Class Standings
- Ken Roczen (280)
- Ryan Dungey (254)
- Trey Canard (226)
- James Stewart (196)
- Brett Metcalfe (168)
- Josh Grant (159)
- Andrew Short (134)
- Chad Reed (132)
- Weston Peick (131) - MotoSport rider
- Malcolm Stewart (120)
250 Class Standings
- Jeremy Martin (250)
- Cooper Webb (227)
- Blake Baggett (222)
- Justin Bogle (191)
- Marvin Musquin (181)
- Christophe Pourcel (176)
- Jason Anderson (167) - MotoSport rider
- Cole Seely (143)
- Justin Hill (127)
- Jessy Nelson (125)
