CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. (August 27, 2016) – Ironman Raceway hosted the third annual Ironman National for the final round of the 2016 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship on Saturday. The morning started off with wetter than normal conditions due to precipitation overnight, but as the sun shined through the track dried out and turned into survival of the fittest. Pirelli-supported riders chose the SCOPRION™ MX32™ soft-mid front tire to suit their needs, while the rear was split between the industry-leading MX32 soft-mid and MX32™ PRO mid-hard tires. When the dust settled at the end of the day, Pirelli placed four riders inside of the 450 Class top-10 and captured half of the top-10 positions in the championship standings.
Autotrader/Monster Energy/Yamaha’s Justin Barcia, who was fresh off of a podium finish at last weekends Budds Creek National, had his sights set on carrying the momentum into the 12th and final round at Ironman. The No.51 got off to an excellent start in Moto 1, narrowly missing out on the holeshot as the 40-rider field rounded the first corner. He spent the majority of the 30-minute plus two laps moto nipping at the heels of the race leader before eventually settling for second. The second moto once again saw the Yamaha-mounted rider use his SCOPRPION MX tires to grab traction and a second place start, which he maintained for the duration of the race. Barcia finished the season with back-to-back podiums and second place overall (2-2) on the day. His recent hot streak landed him fourth place in the championship point standings.
After recording his season-best result with a fifth place at Budds Creek last weekend, JGRMX rider Phil Nicoletti headed into Saturday full of confidence. In Moto 1, he followed his teammate Barcia across the line and was credited with third on the opening lap. The New Yorker rode strong to finish the moto in sixth. Moto 2 saw him grab another start inside of the top five, pushing hard the entire race to finish eighth for sixth place overall (6-8). Nicoletti’s consistent results netted him a career-best fifth place overall in the 450 Class championship standings.
Weston Peick started inside the top-10 during both motos and relied on his fitness to navigate the rough, rutted and brutal conditions on the Indiana circuit. He finished eighth in Moto 1, but returned in Moto 2 to improve his result with a seventh. The Californian finished seventh place overall (8-7) and eighth in the championship standings, ultimately placing all three JGRMX riders inside of the top-10 at the completion of the 2016 season.
BTO Sports/WPS/KTM rookie Benny Bloss has been the teams star rider throughout the summer as he has far exceeded the expectations set by many of his peers. A start near the front of the field helped him lock down a seventh in Moto 1, while Moto 2 witnessed him charge from outside of the top-20 to a hard-fought eleventh at the checkered flag. He wrapped up the season with a 10th overall (7-11) and finished a very impressive sixth in the championship standings. The BTO Sports squad recently announced that Bloss would be returning to the team for 2017.
Perhaps the most followed rider of the day was BTO Sports/WPS/KTM’s Andrew Short who was competing in the final race of his professional racing career. The well-liked veteran received support from the energetic crowd as they cheered for him each passing lap during Moto 1. He battled hard the entire race before settling for 13th. When the gate dropped for Moto 2, the crowd went wild as Shorty emerged with the holeshot in the final moto of his successful career. Unfortunately, his race was quickly cut short due to a bike malfunction that forced him to retire early. The No.29 proved that he is still competitive among the youngsters and best riders in the world by finishing the season ninth in the championship standings. Pirelli would like to congratulate Mr. Short on a remarkable career and thank him for his dedication and commitment throughout the years.
450 Class Overall Results (Moto Finish)
- Ken Roczen, Germany, Suzuki (1-1)
- Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., Yamaha (2-2)
- Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki (3-3)
- Marvin Musquin, France, KTM (4-4)
- Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.M., Husqvarna (5-5)
- Phil Nicoletti, Cohocton, N.Y., Yamaha (6-8)
- Weston Peick, Menifee, Calif., Yamaha (8-7)
- Matt Bisceglia, Tualatin, Ore., Suzuki (11-6)
- Fredrik Noren, Sweden, Honda (9-9)
- Benny Bloss, Oak Grove, Mo., KTM (7-11)
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16. Andrew Short, Colorado Springs, Colo., KTM (13-35)
450 Class Championship Standings
- Ken Roczen, Germany, Suzuki – 584
- Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki – 498
- Marvin Musquin, France, KTM – 401
- Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., Yamaha – 360
- Phil Nicoletti, Cohocton, N.Y., Yamaha - 229
- Benny Bloss, Oak Grove, Mo., KTM – 228
- Christophe Pourcel, France, Husqvarna – 217
- Weston Peick, Menifee, Calif., Yamaha - 197
- Andrew Short, Colorado Springs, Colo., KTM – 197
- Fredrik Noren, Sweden, Honda - 192
8/28/2016 7:41pm
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