The 2014 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship series heads west for Round 8 on Saturday at the Spring Creek National in Millville, MN.
Time is running out for the rest of the field as three of the four most dominate riders this season in the 450 class add points to their growing leads week after week. As for MotoSport riders, two have a chance to reach the final podium but certainly a Top 5 finish is within reach.
Weston Peick bounced back from a crash in Round 6 to finish in fifth overall last week at Budds Creek. With the exception at RedBud National, Peick has not finished outside the Top 10 and has taken fifth overall twice. He's 30 points from Brett Metcalfe who is hanging on to fifth place from a strong riding Josh Grant who is now only six points from the Top 5.
Weston Peick can move closer to Top 5 in points with solid racing on Saturday at Spring Creek
Jimmy Albertson's season picked up in recent weeks after he switched bikes and now has two 13th place Moto finishes on the KTM. The ups also come with some downs as he wasn't able to succeed as well in accompanying Motos. Albertson sits in 20th place in points and has a real opportunity to crack the Top 15 by the end of the year in total points if he can find success in both Motos every week from here on out.
Jimmy Albertson has shot at finishing season in Top 15
Rounding out the rest, rookie Ken Roczen leads the race to the championship with Ryan Dungey on his tail. Roczen has seven Moto wins and four overalls. Dungey has three Moto wins and two overalls. Both riders, teammates on the Red Bull KTM team, took home the same number of points last week but Dungey grabbed the overall thanks to a Moto 2 win. Roczen's lead is a solid 26 points but rather slim considering who he's up against with 10 Motos to race.
Trey Canard holds on to third-place with a strong lead over James Stewart, who after winning three of four Motos just a few weeks ago, has not placed higher than eighth overall in the last three rounds. Canard has not placed lower than fourth in a Moto except for seventh in Moto 1 to start the season. Canard's biggest competition to the podium is a now very healthy Eli Tomac who began the year in Round 5 and has stepped on the podium every week since. Tomac is already knocking at the door to the Top 10 in total points.
Jason Anderson makes his presence known on the podium
In the 250 class, Jason Anderson, who rides for the MotoSport sponsored Rockstar Energy KTM team, won his first Moto of the year at Budds Creek and after being left off the podium the first three rounds has taken third overall in the last three of four rounds. Anderson, the reigning 2014 AMA Supercross Champion, is five points from the Top 5 and a final podium spot is not out of the question as long as his current streak continues.
Joey Savatgy, Anderson's teammate, is in 16th place in points and has eight Top 15 Moto finishes in the last 10 races including a 10th place finish at RedBud when he grabbed the MotoSport.com Holeshot Award.
Joey Savatagy is close to being in the Top 15 for points
For the rest of the 250s, the race to the championship also boils down to three-riders. Jeremy Martin leads the field with six Moto wins including five straight to start the season. He's held a strong lead all season long but Blake Baggett just took over second place from Cooper Webb. Baggett has five Moto wins and took the overall at Budds Creek though he didn't win in points.
The 2014 Spring Creek National is Saturday with the first Moto starting at 2 p.m. (EST). Buy tickets online or at the MX Park, 63633 298th Ave. in Millville, MN.
2014 Motocross Season Standings
450 Class Standings
- Ken Roczen (327)
- Ryan Dungey (301)
- Trey Canard (264)
- James Stewart (212)
- Brett Metcalfe (192)
- Josh Grant (186)
- Weston Peick (162) - MotoSport rider
- Andrew Short (161)
- Chad Reed (132)
- Malcolm Stewart (128)
250 Class Standings
- Jeremy Martin (294)
- Blake Baggett (267)
- Cooper Webb (261)
- Justin Bogle (225)
- Christophe Pourcel (211)
- Jason Anderson (206) - MotoSport rider
- Marvin Musquin (201)
- Cole Seely (166)
- Justin Hill (150)
- Jessy Nelson (144)
