Pirelli’s Justin Barcia Rebounds in the 450MX Class at High Point

Mt. Morris, Pa. (June 19, 2016) – The 40th annual Red Bull High Point National took place on Saturday and hosted the fourth round of the prestigious 2016 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship. For the first time this season, the talented field of riders lined up behind a starting gate on the East Coast, which greeted them with temperatures in the high 80’s and strong humidity. Heavy rain earlier in the week provided plenty of line selections throughout the day, while riders raved about Pirelli’s SCORPION™ MX32™ 80/100-21 front and MX32™ PRO 110/90-19 rear tires.

Auto Trader/Monster Energy/Yamah’s Justin Barcia began the day full of excitement as he returned to the familiar East Coast dirt that has brought him much success in the past. In the first moto, the No. 51 started just outside of the top-10, but quickly began mounting a charge on the riders ahead of him. He earned a hard-fought seventh. The Pirelli-supported rider used his MX32™ PRO rear tire to get an edge on the competition and pulled a massive holeshot in Moto 2, crossed the checkered flag in fifth. He finished fifth place overall (7-5).

After sitting out the last round of the championship due to an injury, Weston Peick emerged once again for the JGRMX team. He had an impressive ride going in Moto 1, just ahead of his teammate Barcia, but a small crash late in the race dropped him to 13th. However, the Californian rebounded for eighth in Moto 2, ultimately rounding out the top-10 (13-8). Phil Nicoletti continues to put in consistent performances near the 450MX Class top-10, including this weekend at the hilly High Point circuit. He was credited 11th overall (11-11), narrowly missing out on the top-10.

Despite a slow start to the season, the veteran Andrew Short is gaining steam aboard his BTO Sports/WPS/KTM at each round of the 2016 Pro Motocross Championship. A start just inside of the top-20 in Moto 1 did not slow him down as he worked his way into 12th at the finish. His experience helped him make quick passes in Moto 2, which led to a respectable 14th. ‘Shorty” scored his best overall of the season in 12th (12-14).

In the first 450MX Moto, BTO Sports rider Justin Brayton connected with another rider on the opening lap, forcing him to start near the back of the 40-rider field. He put his head down and charged the entire 30+2 lap moto to finish 17th. A better start in Moto 2 helped him secure 13th place for 14th overall (17-13) on the day. Rookie Benny Bloss fell victim to misfortune while on the starting line for Moto 1 and was unable to start the race. Fortunately, he would make his way back onto the track for Moto 2 and battled to 16th. The youngster finished 19th overall (40-16). 

The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will return to action next weekend on Saturday, June 25 for the fifth round at Muddy Creek Raceway in Blountville, Tennessee.

450MX Class Results

1.    Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.M., Husqvarna (3-3)

3.  Marvin Musquin, France, KTM (2-4)

4.  Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki (5-2)

5.    Christope Pourcel, Dade City, Fla., Husqvarna (4-9)

7.  Justin Bogle, Cushing, Okla., Honda (6-7)

8.  Cole Seely, Newbury Park, Calif., Honda (9-6)

9.  Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Suzuki (8-10)

10.  11. Phil Nicoletti, Cohocton, N.Y., (11-11)

12. Andrew Short, Colorado Springs, Colo., KTM (12-14)

14. Justin Brayton, Fort Dodge, Iowa, KTM (17-13)

19. Benny Bloss, Oak Grove, MO., KTM (40-16)

450MX Class Championship Standings

1.    Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki - 152

3.  Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM - 131

4.  Cole Seely, Newbury Park, Calif., Honda - 116

5.  Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.M., Husqvarna - 113

6.  Marvin Musquin, France, KTM - 104

7.  Trey Canard, Edmond, Okla., Honda - 97

8.    Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Kawasaki - 88

10.  Christophe Pourcel, Dade City, Fla., Husqvarna - 74