Reigning 450 Class Champion Ryan Dungey added a second overall victory to the season last round in Maryland, but the flip-flopped moto score of (1-2) with Ryan Villopoto produced a blank draw as far as series points are concerned.
Heading into this Saturday’s Chaplin Kawasaki Moto-X 338 National on June 29, Villopoto remains sixteen points ahead of Dungey, as the two former champions go head-to-head at the final Lucas Oil Pro Motocross National in Southwick, Mass.
Red Bull KTM’s Dungey remains the only rider to finish atop the podium in every moto of the 2013 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing. In fact, Dungey has only placed third one time this season-at Round 3-where he’s otherwise finished first or second place in every moto. As a two-time winner of the 450 Class at Moto-X 338, Dungey looks to secure his third career win at the historic sand track.
Through five rounds, Villopoto has proven to be the most consistent out front this season, as he’s won eight of the ten motos. However, the deep sands of Southwick present all new challenges to the racers with unfamiliar terrain compared to the other 11 rounds on the tour. Villopoto has never secured a 450 Class win at Moto-X 338 and his last victory at this event came in 2008 when he bested Dungey in the 250 Class with a (1-1) sweep. This Saturday, Villopoto looks to conquer a personal feat by winning the Chaplin Kawasaki Moto-X 338 National for the first time ever in the 450 Class.
Team Honda Muscle Milk’s Trey Canard landed his first podium finish of the season with a third overall at the last round, giving him great momentum heading into Round 6. Canard currently sits fourth overall in the championship standings behind his Honda Muscle Milk teammate Justin Barcia. Smartop/MotoConcepts Racing’s Mike Alessi rounds out the top five in the championship standings after matching a season-best finish of third place in Moto 1 of the last round.
Last round, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Blake Baggett became the fourth different rider to finish atop the podium in the ultra-competitive 250 Class this season. Now joining Red Bull KTM’s Ken Roczen, Marvin Musquin and GEICO Honda’s Eli Tomac as winners of the 250 Class, Baggett has inserted himself into a four-way battle for the championship title. As the 250 Class winner at Moto-X 338 in 2012, Baggett is also looking to become the first back-to-back winner in Southwick since Ricky Carmichael in 1998 and 1999.
Tomac was able to gain valuable points on the points leader, Roczen, last round, as the GEICO Honda rider went (5-1) to top Roczen’s scores of (3-6) and further close the gap to less than 10 points in the championship standings. Through five rounds, Musquin remains the only repeat winner in the 250 Class this season, currently sitting in third overall in the championship standings.
The Moto-X 338 track is the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship’s perennial sand track-notoriously rough and physically exhausting-and has been since the first Southwick National event was held in 1976.
The Chaplin Kawasaki Moto-X 338 National will commence Saturday, June 29, in Southwick, Mass., beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern. Live coverage of the opening motos on FUEL TV and Allisports.com will begin at 1 p.m. Eastern. Second motos will air Live on NBC Sports and Allisports.com beginning at 3:30 p.m.
