Head-to-Head Title Fight Between KTM Teammates Roczen and Dungey Culminates at Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship Finale Saturday in Utah

It’s been a summer full of excitement, highlighted by breakout seasons from a variety of riders across the 450 and 250 Classes, and this Saturday, August 23, the 2014 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, will come to dramatic conclusion in Utah for the 12th and final round on the schedule. The second annual Zions Bank Utah National will signify the series’ return to the one-of-a-kind track at Tooele’s Miller Motorsports Park, just outside Salt Lake City, where a season-long battle between Red Bull KTM teammates Ken Roczen and Ryan Dungey will culminate with one of the two riders walking away as champion. As the 450 Class title fight continues to unfold, newly crowned 250 Class Champion Jeremy Martin will pilot his Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha on a victory lap, while the battle for second in the standings ensues over the final two motos.

 

Live broadcast coverage from Utah begins Saturday at 3 p.m. ET with the first motos of the 450 and 250 Classes on MAVTV. Tape delayed coverage of the final 450 Class moto can be seen on NBC Sports Network at 6:30 p.m. ET, with the final moto broadcast of the 250 Class scheduled for 1 a.m. ET on Sunday, August 24, on NBC Sports Network.

 

Additionally, all the action can be seen as it happens online via live stream atProMotocross.com (first motos) and NBC Sports Live Extra (second motos).

 

Entering the inaugural Indiana National one week ago, Dungey’s late season surge and two-race winning streak has closed the gap between he and Roczen to a mere seven points. However, Mother Nature took center stage at Ironman Raceway with a downpour of rain during the early morning hours that ultimately resulted in a critical shakeup in the points that played heavily into Roczen’s favor.

 

It’s Roczen (left) versus Dungey (right) for one final time in 2014.

Photo: Simon Cudby / Racer X

 

Despite not winning a single moto since RedBud on Independence Day weekend and losing 19 points over that span, Roczen rebounded from what appeared to be a late season funk to return to the forefront of the premier division and reclaim control of the championship. While Roczen successfully withstood the treacherous and muddy conditions, no doubt taking advantage of his experience racing in similar conditions in Europe en route to a series-leading fifth overall win, Dungey faltered and endured his worst performance of the 2014 season.

 

Dungey nearly went down coming out of the gate in Moto 1, but was able to recover from his early misfortune to fight his way back to second and minimize the ground lost to his rookie teammate. With everything on the line in Moto 2, Dungey got another bad start and found himself mired outside the top 10 early. Despite his best efforts to make another climb through the running order, the field simply was too spread out for the former champion to make up the ground he needed, resulting in a season-worst ninth-place finish but still landing him on the overall podium in third.

 

When all was said and done, Dungey had given up 13 points to Roczen and now faces a 20-point deficit coming into Utah. While there is still a lot of racing left over the course of two motos, Dungey and Roczen’s approach to the season finale is likely at different ends of the spectrum. For Dungey, being in the chase means he must enter Miller Motorsports Park with a winning mentality. A second 1-1 moto sweep this season is all Dungey can do to try and erase Roczen’s lead, while the German simply needs to keep his KTM on two wheels based on his statistics this season. Through 22 motos Roczen has finished no worse than fourth, doing so on just two occasions. Should he patiently race his way to a pair of fourth-place results on Saturday afternoon, he will still secure the title no matter what his teammate does, which surely adds to his confidence and security coming into Utah.

 

Canard is arguably the hottest rider in the series right now.

Photo: Simon Cudby / Racer X

 

While all eyes will no doubt be on Roczen and Dungey on Saturday afternoon, a pair of Honda riders could ultimately play the biggest role in how this championship plays out. Both Team Honda Muscle Milk’s Trey Canard and GEICO Honda’s Eli Tomac have stepped up to establish a four-rider battle at the front of the 450 Class field. While Tomac has one overall win to his credit, Canard has taken two of the last three moto wins and appears to be hitting his stride at the right time. While it will take more than Canard and Tomac’s involvement to keep Roczen from clinching his first career title, knowing that any one of these elite contenders can emerge victorious at Miller Motorsports Park only adds to the intrigue surrounding the championship and the level of competition in the premier class.

 

As last year’s inaugural 250 Class winner in Utah, Tomac hopes to wrap up 2014 with his second career 450 win.

Photo: Simon Cudby / Racer X

 

Arguably the biggest breakout story of the 2014 season, Martin’s championship-clinching effort one week ago in Indiana was just another piece to the impressive season-long effort he’s amassed this summer. The reigning Rookie of the Year was a dark horse for the title following an up-and-down AMA Supercross season. However, since the opening round at Glen Helen he’s been the rider to beat each and every weekend and boasts the rare distinction of leading the championship throughout the entirety of the season, putting him in the elite company of the likes of Ricky Carmichael, James Stewart and, most recently, Blake Baggett.

 

Martin will no doubt try to make the most of his first ride as champion.

Photo: Simon Cudby / Racer X

 

Martin’s four wins are tops in the 250 Class and up until the second moto last weekend, he had finished inside the top 10 in every single moto this season, a feat no one else in the division could share. It’s been a dream season for the sophomore rider to say the least, including his first ever win at the Martin’s family-owned Spring Creek MX Park, and the emergence of his teammate and fellow sophomore rider Cooper Webb as his biggest rival has only added to the excitement in the 250 Class.

 

While Martin will be able to savor his day at Utah as champion, his Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha team will still be hard at work trying to conclude its banner season with a 1-2 sweep for Martin and Webb. Currently, Webb sits third in the championship standings and faces a slim two-point deficit to Baggett and his Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki in second. Last year at Miller Motorsports Park, Baggett played the role of spoiler in the outcome of that championship and he’s more than ready to take on both Yamaha riders, if necessary, to hold on to the runner-up spot in the points.

 

Webb wants nothing more than to make it a 1-2 sweep for Star Yamaha in 2014.

Photo: Simon Cudby / Racer X

 

With a year under its belt, Miller Motorsports Park has revamped its motocross track, which sits on the infield of the facility’s world-class paved road racing course. Massive amounts of sand have been brought in as an addition to the layout while many of the track’s obstacles have been redesigned to enhance the action on the track while also making the overall experience more enjoyable for riders and fans alike. Recently, Utah native Landed Powell took to the updated track and shared his thoughts in an exclusive video preview of Saturday’s Zions Bank National.         

The championship atmosphere surrounding the Utah National began one year ago at the inaugural event when both Ryan Villopoto and Eli Tomac not only became the first ever winners at Miller Motorsports Park, but also clinched their respective titles in the 450 Class and 250 Class. Either Roczen or Dungey will continue that legacy on Saturday.

 

Action for the Zions Bank Utah National on Saturday, August 23, begins at 10:30 a.m. ET with timed practice. Opening ceremonies get underway at 2:25 p.m. ET, with the first gate drop scheduled for 3:05 p.m. ET.

 

Baggett will look to keep the Yamaha’s at bay on last time.

Photo: Simon Cudby / Racer X

 

Previous Round Results

 

Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship

Thor Indiana National

Ironman Raceway – Crawfordsville, Indiana

August 16, 2014

Round 11 of 12

 

450 Class (Moto Finish)

  1. Ken Roczen, Germany, KTM (1-2)
  2. Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda (3-1)
  3. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM (2-9)
  4. Ryan Sipes, Flaherty, Ky., KTM (10-3)
  5. Andrew Short, Colorado Springs, Colo., KTM (8-4)
  6. Chad Reed, Australia, Kawasaki (7-6)
  7. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda (4-10)
  8. Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha (12-5)
  9. Fredrik Noren, Sweden, Honda (9-8)
  10. Matt Goerke, Sun City, Calif., KTM (6-11)

450 Class Championship Standings

  1. Ken Roczen, Germany, KTM, 494
  2. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM, 474
  3. Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda, 418
  4. Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Kawasaki, 304
  5. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda, 281
  6. Andrew Short, Colorado Springs, Colo., KTM, 278
  7. Weston Peick, Wildomar, Calif., Suzuki, 268
  8. Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha, 243
  9. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Suzuki, 226
  10. Chad Reed, Australia, Kawasaki, 185

250 Class (Moto Finish)

  1. Marvin Musquin, France, KTM (3-1)
  2. Joey Savatgy, Thomasville, Ga., KTM (4-3)
  3. Jessy Nelson, Paso Robles, Calif., Honda, (1-8)
  4. Christophe Pourcel, France, Yamaha (9-2)
  5. Cooper Webb, Morehead City, N.C., Yamaha, (6-5)
  6. Dean Wilson, Scotland, Kawasaki (8-6)
  7. Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., Yamaha (7-7)
  8. Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Yamaha (2-15)
  9. Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., KTM, (5-10)
  10. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Kawasaki (14-4)

250 Class Championship Standings

  1. Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Yamaha, 450
  2. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Kawasaki, 381
  3. Cooper Webb, Morehead City, N.C., Yamaha, 379
  4. Marvin Musquin, France, KTM, 374
  5. Christophe Pourcel, France, Yamaha, 355
  6. Justin Bogle, Cushing, Okla., Honda, 331
  7. Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., KTM, 270
  8. Cole Seely, Newbury Park, Calif., Honda, 244
  9. Jessy Nelson, Paso Robles, Calif., Honda, 238
  10. Dean Wilson, Scotland, Kawasaki, 204  
  11. Alex Martin, Millville, Minnesota, Yamaha, 204

MX Sports Pro Racing

MX Sports Pro Racing manages and produces the world’s most prestigious professional motocross series – the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing. The industry leader in off road power sport event production and management, its mission is to showcase the sport of professional motocross competition at events throughout the United States. Through its various racing properties, partnerships and affiliates, MX Sports Pro Racing organizes events for thousands of action sports athletes each year and attracts millions of motorsports spectators. Visitwww.mxsportsproracing.com.

 

Alli Sports

Alli Sports is a media, event and branded content company that specializes in action, adventure, and adrenaline based sports. Alli Properties include the Dew Tour, Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, the Red Bull Signature Series and World of Adventure Sports presented by Go Pro. Alli Sports is a division of the NBC Sports Group. More information can be found at www.Allisports.com.

 

AMA Pro Racing        

AMA Pro Racing is the premier professional motorcycle racing organization in North America, operating a full schedule of events and championships for a variety of motorcycle disciplines.  Learn more about AMA Pro Racing at www.amaproracing.com.

 

Lucas Oil Products    

Based in Corona, Calif., Lucas Oil Products, Inc is the world leader of High Performance Lubricants and Problem Solving Additives and produces and markets 272 unique formulations in thirty four countries around the globe and is growing country by country, market by market every year. Through innovative product research and development, along with progressive marketing programs, Lucas Oil Products has established itself as the top-selling additive line in the American truck-stop industry.  Lucas Oil is involved in an array of motorsports sponsorships, including the “Official Motor Oil of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship.” Visit: www.lucasoil.com.

 

MAVTV

MAVTV is a television network with its roots deep in the automotive world.  With an unparalleled line-up of motorsports events and exclusive automotive reality shows, MAVTV is the answer for motor-heads from all walks of life.  But MAVTV is much more than a motorsports destination, with original action/adventure programming, live MMA and an unbelievable library of blockbuster movies – MAVTV is a network the whole family can enjoy.  A network by the people and for the people, made in America and American Real.  Visit: www.mavtv.com.

(Lucas Oil Pro Motocross PR)

Adam Sinclair