Honda riders had an impressive showing at round five of the 2012 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, which took place at Budds Creek Motocross Park in Mechanicsville, MD, over the weekend. Team Honda Muscle Milk's Justin Brayton picked up a fifth overall, his best finish of the season, while Muscle Milk-sponsored GEICO Honda's Justin Barcia posted a third overall in the 250 class.
The Race
After posting fifth-quickest qualifying times in practice, Brayton came out swinging in moto one, nailing the holeshot and riding a solid race to finish fifth. After grabbing a mid-pack start in moto two, he was able to charge his way to a eighth-place finish, giving him fifth overall. "Today was a good day for me," said Brayton. "It felt like everything finally started to come together and I was able to ride up front where I belong. Race one went really great. After getting the holeshot I fell back a few positions but was still able to maintain a good pace. In the second race, my start wasn't as great but I was still able to finish strong. I am really going to take advantage of these next two weekends off and come to Red Bud strong."
In the 250 class, Muscle Milk-sponsored GEICO Honda teammates Justin Barcia, Eli Tomac and Wil Hahn put together strong rides throughout the entire day. After qualifying first in practice, Barcia continued his momentum by grabbing the win in moto one. In moto two, he was able to work his way through the pack from outside the top 20 to finish fifth, placing him on the podium with a third overall.
"I felt great in moto one, but moto two was just off for me," said Barcia. "I got a bad start in the second race, which put me in a bad position, and then after going down, it set me back even more from the top four guys. I really had to work for the fifth-place finish and I'm grateful to be on the podium again and still second in points."
Tomac put together a solid charge, finishing 5-3 for a fourth overall. "The track was tricky today when it came to passing," said Tomac. "It was pretty one-lined and the passing lanes didn't set up like they have in the past so it made it really tough to come through the pack. Between that and the lappers you had to be really careful not to make any mistakes because it could really hurt you."
The Focus: Hinson
Hinson Racing, the supplier of clutch components to the Honda racing team, has won titles in every major professional off-road series and expects to add more to its mantel with Honda in 2012. The massive power produced by the Honda team's factory engines is readily handled by Hinson Racing clutch components, which deliver the ultimate in off-road performance and reliability.
450 Class Overall Results
1. Ryan Dungey 1-1
2. Broc Tickle 2-2
3. Mike Alessi 4-3
4. Jake Weimer 3-4
5. Justin Brayton (Honda) 5-8
6. Brett Metcalfe 8-6
7. Josh Grant 10-5
8. Davi Millsaps 9-7
9. Andrew Short (Honda) 6-10
10. Ryan Sipes 7-11
450 Class Championship Points (after 5 of 12 rounds)
1. Ryan Dungey 236
2. Mike Alessi 182
3. Jake Weimer 179
4. Andrew Short 154
5. Brett Metcalfe 142
6. Broc Tickle 134
7. James Stewart 116
8. Josh Grant 111
9. Nico Izzi 95
10. Justin Brayton 93
250 Class Overall Results
1. Blake Baggett 2-1
2. Ken Roczen 3-2
3. Justin Barcia (Honda) 1-5
4. Eli Tomac (Honda) 5-3
5. Marvin Musquin 4-4
6. Jason Anderson 7-6
7. Wil Hahn (Honda) 6-7
8. Jake Canada 13-8
9. Travis Baker (Honda) 12-10
10. Phil Nicoletti 14-9
250 Class Championship Points (after 5 of 12 rounds)
1. Blake Baggett 222
2. Justin Barcia 209
3. Eli Tomac 200
4. Ken Roczen 200
5. Marvin Musquin 153
6. Wil Hahn 130
7. Jason Anderson 106
8. Blake Wharton 102
9. Ivan Tedesco 99
10. Kyle Cunningham 96
About Honda
American Honda Motor Co., Inc. is the sole distributor of Honda motorcycles, scooters, ATVs and MUVs in the U.S. American Honda's Motorcycle Division conducts the sales, marketing, and operational activities for these products through authorized Honda dealers. For more information on Honda products, go to powersports.honda.com.
©2012 American Honda Motor Co., Inc. All Rights Reserved.
