Has anybody ever thrown away a big lead on the final lap?

RichieW13
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RichieW13
Edited Date/Time 7/22/2021 9:42pm
Can anybody recall a time where a pro racer had a big lead (maybe 5+ seconds) on the final lap and then crashed and didn't win the race?
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yz133rider
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yz133rider 7/19/2021 10:00am
7/19/2021 10:00am
Jason Anderson Glen Helen 2017 I think it was or maybe 2018 when Tomac went full beast mode and ate up like 7 seconds in 2 laps. Anderson didn’t crash but he lost a big lead.
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FlaNard
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FlaNard 7/19/2021 10:07am
7/19/2021 10:07am
How far up was GL when he crashed waving to the crowd back in his 125 days? Way too many years to recall.
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gt80rider
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gt80rider 7/19/2021 10:08am
7/19/2021 10:08am Edited Date/Time 7/19/2021 10:08am
great question... none off the top of my head... closest I can think of was ET3 in beast mode when he destroyed his shoulders in Colorado, but that wasn't on the last lap........

was also kinda thinking maybe RonRon back in the day???? big lead on a 125 then crashed out last lap??
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Deadric
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Deadric 7/19/2021 10:09am
7/19/2021 10:09am
Meghan Rutledge crashed doing a fist pump at Xgames in 2013. Her lead until that point was around 5 seconds.
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RichieW13
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RichieW13 7/19/2021 10:09am
7/19/2021 10:09am Edited Date/Time 7/19/2021 10:09am
yz133rider wrote:
Jason Anderson Glen Helen 2017 I think it was or maybe 2018 when Tomac went full beast mode and ate up like 7 seconds in 2...
Jason Anderson Glen Helen 2017 I think it was or maybe 2018 when Tomac went full beast mode and ate up like 7 seconds in 2 laps. Anderson didn’t crash but he lost a big lead.
Good call. I was there for that one. (But forgot about it.)

Though, it doesn't quite qualify, because it looks like Anderson lost the lead before the white flag:

http://americanmotocrossresults.com/xml/MX/events/M1810/M1F2LAP.pdf
snillum
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snillum 7/19/2021 10:10am
7/19/2021 10:10am
My memory is fuzzy on names and dates.
There was a girl at the X games that fist pumped on a jump (Pretty sure it was the last lap)and ended up crashing loosing the lead.

Back in the 125 days I vaguely remember a KTM or Husky rider celebrating early and throwing it away on the last lap in supercross heat race? I can't remember but possibly Grant Langston?

Back in JS7 early career on 125 in supercross. He was having a horrible night and somewhere mid pack. The two fighting for the lead had a semi comfortable lead and crashed each other in the whoops allowing third place to win. I think Chris Gossler won that night? Maybe it was Travis Preston?

I know that was basically damn near useless information but I can't remember off the top of my head.
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disbanded
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FlaNard wrote:
How far up was GL when he crashed waving to the crowd back in his 125 days? Way too many years to recall.
That was the last lap at Houston, 2001. I was there!
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DPR250R
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DPR250R 7/19/2021 10:17am
7/19/2021 10:17am Edited Date/Time 7/19/2021 10:32am
Close to the last lap I think…

Pastrana - Unadilla 2001. All down hill from there.

Edit - 2nd Moto Last Lap with a decent lead.
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Falcon 7/19/2021 10:28am
7/19/2021 10:28am
Someone (Musquin, maybe?) pulled off on the white flag in recent years, thinking it was the checkers. I think that rider still won, but it was a lot closer thanks to the mistake.
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DeStouwer 7/19/2021 10:32am
7/19/2021 10:32am Edited Date/Time 7/19/2021 10:32am
Stefan Everts, GP of South Africa at Sun City, 2006. Waving at the crowd on a jump to celebrate, crashed when landing which blocked his front brake. Josh Coppins took over and won the moto.
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aeffertz
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aeffertz 7/19/2021 10:44am
7/19/2021 10:44am
I had to double check from memory and it ended up not being exactly what you were asking but it's funny reading the highlight considering where the riders are now.

In Moto 2 of the 2018 Thunder Valley national, Alex Martin held off Dylan Ferrandis for the lead for most of the moto until the 2 lap board came out. Dylan made a slight mistake giving A-Mart the break he was hoping for to ease up the pressure from behind. Shortly after Dylan's bobble, Alex crashes hard with less than two laps to go, resulting in a 3rd place finish for the moto.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OMWkUC5Hfs
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ButteryWaffles 7/19/2021 10:46am
7/19/2021 10:46am
Didn’t pastrana knock himself out last lap and lose the title in 2000-2001? Forgot what track it was.
RichieW13
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RichieW13 7/19/2021 10:50am
7/19/2021 10:50am
aeffertz wrote:
I had to double check from memory and it ended up not being exactly what you were asking but it's funny reading the highlight considering where...
I had to double check from memory and it ended up not being exactly what you were asking but it's funny reading the highlight considering where the riders are now.

In Moto 2 of the 2018 Thunder Valley national, Alex Martin held off Dylan Ferrandis for the lead for most of the moto until the 2 lap board came out. Dylan made a slight mistake giving A-Mart the break he was hoping for to ease up the pressure from behind. Shortly after Dylan's bobble, Alex crashes hard with less than two laps to go, resulting in a 3rd place finish for the moto.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OMWkUC5Hfs
That was a crazy crash from Martin. Everything looked just fine, and then his rear tire just kicked up in the air. Maybe a rock fell into the rut? Or maybe his front tire knocked a dirt clod into the rut that his rear tire hit?
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jjavaman 7/19/2021 10:54am
7/19/2021 10:54am
DPR250R wrote:
Close to the last lap I think…

Pastrana - Unadilla 2001. All down hill from there.

Edit - 2nd Moto Last Lap with a decent lead.
Something tells me TP199 did ok after that and probably made a ton more$$ then if he had stayed with moto.
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mattyhamz2 7/19/2021 11:08am
7/19/2021 11:08am
snillum wrote:
My memory is fuzzy on names and dates. There was a girl at the X games that fist pumped on a jump (Pretty sure it was...
My memory is fuzzy on names and dates.
There was a girl at the X games that fist pumped on a jump (Pretty sure it was the last lap)and ended up crashing loosing the lead.

Back in the 125 days I vaguely remember a KTM or Husky rider celebrating early and throwing it away on the last lap in supercross heat race? I can't remember but possibly Grant Langston?

Back in JS7 early career on 125 in supercross. He was having a horrible night and somewhere mid pack. The two fighting for the lead had a semi comfortable lead and crashed each other in the whoops allowing third place to win. I think Chris Gossler won that night? Maybe it was Travis Preston?

I know that was basically damn near useless information but I can't remember off the top of my head.
It was Anaheim and the two riders were Lil Goose and Rodrig Thain.
early
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early 7/19/2021 11:10am
7/19/2021 11:10am
Joey Savatgy in Vegas?
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FlaNard
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FlaNard 7/19/2021 11:22am
7/19/2021 11:22am
FlaNard wrote:
How far up was GL when he crashed waving to the crowd back in his 125 days? Way too many years to recall.
disbanded wrote:
That was the last lap at Houston, 2001. I was there!
Dude, I laughed so hard but was crushed for Grant at the same time.
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Fonzarelli
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Fonzarelli 7/19/2021 12:27pm
7/19/2021 12:27pm
Johnny O'Mara ran out of gas on the last lap of the 1986 USGP at Unadilla, Bob Hannah won and Johnny O presented Hannah with the empty gas tank at the trophy ceremony.
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xrmark 7/19/2021 12:28pm
7/19/2021 12:28pm
Deadric wrote:
Meghan Rutledge crashed doing a fist pump at Xgames in 2013. Her lead until that point was around 5 seconds.
Classic x games moment haha chick took her throttle hand off?! 😂
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DF313 7/19/2021 1:17pm
7/19/2021 1:17pm Edited Date/Time 7/19/2021 1:19pm
yz133rider wrote:
Jason Anderson Glen Helen 2017 I think it was or maybe 2018 when Tomac went full beast mode and ate up like 7 seconds in 2...
Jason Anderson Glen Helen 2017 I think it was or maybe 2018 when Tomac went full beast mode and ate up like 7 seconds in 2 laps. Anderson didn’t crash but he lost a big lead.
This pass was awesome!
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hubbardmx50
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hubbardmx50 7/19/2021 1:41pm
7/19/2021 1:41pm
early wrote:
Joey Savatgy in Vegas?
That was for the championship but AC won the race I believe.
Boomslang 7/22/2021 9:35pm
7/22/2021 9:35pm Edited Date/Time 7/23/2021 7:34am
I had about a 1/4 lap left with a tidy lead at a National at Hammarsdale. Was 1985 and I was on a pig.....a YZ100...the win was in the bag...thats is until the bike started to rev to the moon eventually cutting out. I just stood there in tears. The slide had come loose and popped out of the card...my oldman had done jetting earlier and had changed the needle and obviously never tightened the thing.

I bagged him all the way home.

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Spudnut
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Spudnut 7/22/2021 9:39pm
7/22/2021 9:39pm
Ken Roczen Atlanta 21 except there was a lap and a half to go
decano51
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decano51 7/22/2021 9:42pm
7/22/2021 9:42pm
Surprised Stews name hasn't been mentioned.
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TallonT911
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TallonT911 7/23/2021 8:55am
7/23/2021 8:55am Edited Date/Time 7/23/2021 8:58am
Falcon wrote:
Someone (Musquin, maybe?) pulled off on the white flag in recent years, thinking it was the checkers. I think that rider still won, but it was...
Someone (Musquin, maybe?) pulled off on the white flag in recent years, thinking it was the checkers. I think that rider still won, but it was a lot closer thanks to the mistake.
Are you thinking of one in Washougal? i vaguely remember Windham or someone pulling off on the white flag there.

Another good one was at Freestone 250 class.. Wilson thought Rattray was a lapper and slowed to let him by, Rattray went by to win the race and I believe Baggett got Wilson right at the line for 2nd
Edit: it was tickle who went by for 2nd
jorgechavez 7/23/2021 9:28am
7/23/2021 9:28am
Wasn’t a big lead nor was it a crash but Villopoto passed Dungey in the final turn at Steel City in 2011.
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Motoxdoc
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Motoxdoc 7/23/2021 9:42am
7/23/2021 9:42am
Deano lost his first national win by letting, I think it was GL, un-lap himself on the last lap, when in reality he was passing him for the lead. Upon realizing his mistake, In the midst of his angry breakdown, he let yet another racer, maybe Broc Tickle, nip him at the finish. It was absolutely painful to watch! Luckily he came back for his first win the next week.
80sMXbadboy
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80sMXbadboy 7/23/2021 9:56am
7/23/2021 9:56am
Yes but they were just making a paycheck ..
Spudnut
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Spudnut 7/23/2021 9:57am
7/23/2021 9:57am
jorgechavez wrote:
Wasn’t a big lead nor was it a crash but Villopoto passed Dungey in the final turn at Steel City in 2011.
That was such a good race
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