The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship series made its final stop this past Saturday in sunny Southern California for the second annual Lake Elsinore National, and Team Honda Muscle Milk's Justin Barcia claimed third place for the day. The 450-class rookie has turned in an impressive first season aboard his Honda CRF450R, finishing third overall in the series. Newly crowned 250 Champion Eli Tomac clinched his seventh overall win of the season with 2-1 finishes aboard his Muscle Milk-supported GEICO Honda CRF250R.
450 Race
In the 450 competition, Barcia ended the year on a positive note by landing himself third overall on the podium with solid 5-3 scores. He launched his CRF450R off the line to a second-place start in moto one, but relinquished a spot on the second lap. He fell back two more positions into fifth a few laps later, which is where he finished. In moto two, Barcia crossed the Motorcycle-Superstore.com holeshot line in third place and quickly made the pass into second. He slipped back to third on lap three, which is where he would stay the remainder of the 30-minute plus two-lap race. Barcia has finished on the podium at five of 12 rounds and wraps up the season third overall with 411 points.
"The first moto wasn't very good at all," stated Barcia. I really struggled with bike set up and wasn't riding the greatest so that didn't go too well. We went back to the truck and made some changes and the second moto went much better. I got third in the moto and third overall, which is awesome. For it being my rookie season, third overall in the series is good but I am not stoked on it. I want to win so badly, so it's tough. Both Ryans were so fast this year and my teammate Trey was really tough as well. I am really excited to go back to the Motocross of Nations and get some redemption and hopefully bring back that trophy."
With 4-10 marks, teammate Trey Canard finished sixth for the day and fourth overall in the championship. Canard had a strong first moto, jumping off the line to a fifth-place start and quickly making work of the riders in front of him. On lap eight, Canard caught and passed Barcia for fourth place. Canard was unable to replicate his performance in the second moto after stalling his bike on the first lap, which left him at the back of the pack. He put forth a valiant charge though the field, making his way from 27th to 10th by lap 12. The Team Honda Muscle Milk rider finished the season fourth overall with 332 points.
250 Race
Despite having the 250 Motocross championship already wrapped up, GEICO Honda's Eli Tomac turned in a stellar performance at the Lake Elsinore National, recording his seventh overall win of the season. In moto one, Tomac grabbed a top-five start and quickly moved his way past the competition into the second-place spot. He was unable to match the pace of the leader this time around and was forced to settle for second. Tomac again placed second in moto two; however, was awarded first overall as a result of a penalty given to the leader. This marks Tomac's last appearance in the 250 class as he will join the competitive 450 class in 2014 aboard his GEICO Honda CRF450R.
"I'm not going to say it was easy because this was the hottest race we've had all year," said Tomac. "It said 99 degrees on the thermometer but it felt a lot hotter than that. It was brutal. But I wanted to finish strong for my GEICO Honda team. These guys have been behind me 100 percent and it's sweet to finish my 250 career with another overall. I didn't know we technically got the win until after the race. No matter what, it was a great season and I enjoyed battling with Roczen and all the other guys out there. Now we will see how the 450 class goes."
The remaining Muscle Milk- supported GEICO Honda riders turned in strong finishes with three of four riders placing in the top 10. Zach Osborne swept the Motorcycle-Superstore.com Holeshot award in both motos, and turned those starts into fifth- and fourth-place finishes. Osborne's scores left him fifth overall for the day, which is also where he finished in the championship. "Today went really well for me," said Osborne. "I had two holeshots and two solid motos where I finished in the top five in both races. I feel like I should have been on the podium but it didn't work out that way. I just feel fortunate to make it through 24 motos this summer without any injuries. I'm healthy and excited for the break."
Wil Hahn scored a pair of 6-6 finishes at the Lake Elsinore track, to finish sixth overall for the day. Teammate Justin Bogle put in a strong effort to finish eighth overall for the day with his 8-11 marks. Bogle was affected most by the heat and required an IV in the medical trailer after the event.
250-class rookie Matt Bisceglia finished 15th overall for the day with 16-15 finishes and describes his three-race stint in the professional ranks as a real eye-opener. "It was so gnarly and hot out there," described Bisceglia. "To see guys like Eli (Tomac) and Ken (Roczen) ride so hard and keep that pace in this heat shows me that I need to really get to work this off-season and take my personal fitness to an even higher level. Those guys are incredible, and everyone at this level is so good."
The Focus: Lake Elsinore Press Day
The final press day of the year is designated for the top three riders in points, and on Thursday, August 22, Team Honda Muscle Milk's Justin Barcia was on hand for interviews and two 20-minute riding sessions to preview the completed race track. The 2013 Motocross of Nations press event followed, which allowed the media an opportunity to obtain static and action shots of all three team members. Barcia donned the number nine (the USA team will run 7-8-9 since that is where they placed last year) on his patriotic-themed Honda CRF450R.
450 Class Overall Results
1. Ryan Villopoto 1-1
2. Ryan Dungey 2-2
3. Justin Barcia (Honda) 5-3
4. Jake Weimer 8-4
5. Tyla Rattray 7-6
6. Trey Canard (Honda) 4-10
7. Mike Alessi 12-5
8. Brett Metcalfe 10-8
9. Andrew Short 6-12
10. Broc Tickle 11-11
450 Class Championship Points (after 12 of 12 rounds)
1. Ryan Villopoto 563
2. Ryan Dungey 507
3. Justin Barcia 411
4. Trey Canard 332
5. James Stewart 289
6. Jake Weimer 275
7. Andrew Short 262
8. Broc Tickle 236
9. Mike Alessi 229
10. Josh Grant 228
250 Class Overall Results
1. Eli Tomac (Honda) 2-1
2. Ken Roczen 1-7
3. Cooper Webb 4-3
4. Jeremy Martin 3-5
5. Zach Osborne (Honda) 5-4
6. Wil Hahn (Honda) 6-6
7. Marvin Musquin 9-10
8. Justin Bogle (Honda) 8-11
9. Blake Baggett 33-2
10. Martin Davalos 11-9
250 Class Championship Points (after 12 of 12 rounds)
1. Eli Tomac 552
2. Ken Roczen 493
3. Marvin Musquin 411
4. Blake Baggett 395
5. Zach Osborne 356
6. Jeremy Martin 300
7. Justin Bogle 291
8. Jason Anderson 260
9. Cooper Webb 255
10. Kyle Cunningham 228
About Honda
American Honda Motor Co., Inc. was established in 1959 and is the sole distributor of Honda motorcycles, scooters, ATVs and side-by-sides in the U.S. The American Honda Motorcycle Division is responsible for the sales, marketing, and operational activities for these products through authorized Honda dealers. For more information on Honda products, go to www.powersports.honda.com.
About Muscle Milk
Muscle Milk® Ready-to-Drink is a protein-enhanced functional beverage that promotes workout recovery, lean muscle growth, and sustained energy. Muscle Milk takes the guesswork out of high performance nutrition, delivering a precise blend of premium proteins, complex carbohydrates, functional fats, vitamins & minerals. CytoSport™, the maker of Muscle Milk®, is among the largest sport nutrition protein beverage companies in the U.S. and offers a complete line of protein-enhanced powders, shakes and bars. Muscle Milk® was named Ready-to-Drink Beverage of the Year by bodybuilding.com, Best Functional Beverage and Beverage of the Year by BevNet and Company of the Year by Beverage Forum presented by Beverage Marketing Corporation and Beverage World.
