New Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship Leader Dungey Brings Red Number Plate into Tennessee National at Muddy Creek
Martin Returns as 250 Class Points Leader

The 2015 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, saw a dramatic shakeup at the previous round as both the 450 Class and 250 Class point standings experienced a 20-plus point turnaround at the top, leading to a pair of new points leaders heading into this weekend’s Third Annual Red Bull Tennessee National from Muddy Creek Raceway in Blountville, Tennessee, on Saturday, June 6. The Minnesota tandem of Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey and Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha’s Jeremy Martin will carry the red number plates as each respective championship leader, with both riders in search of back-to-back overall victories on Saturday afternoon. 

Dungey has made what is destined to be a hall of fame career off being arguably the most consistent rider in the history of the sport. He’s been as consistent as ever thus far in 2015 and it paid off last weekend at Thunder Valley MX Park in Colorado, as the opportunistic Dungey was there to take advantage of the misfortune of both GEICO Honda’s Eli Tomac and RCH Soaring Eagle/Jimmy Johns/Suzuki Factory Racing’s Ken Roczen to earn his first win of the 2015 season.

Dungey’s win was made even more significant given Tomac’s hard luck. The Colorado native entered his home race undefeated and moved to a 5-0 record following a dominant first moto win. It was more of the same from Tomac in Moto 2, but a big crash while leading not only ended his day but also cost him the points lead to Dungey. A total of 19 points separated Tomac and Dungey heading into Thunder Valley, but a 22-point swing in Dungey’s favor now has him three points ahead of Tomac heading into Muddy Creek. Currently, Tomac’s status for this weekend is undetermined as he continues to undergo evaluation on his shoulder, which was dislocated in the crash at Thunder Valley.

With Tomac’s status in question, this weekend’s return to Muddy Creek Raceway could be an opportunity for Roczen and Team Yoshimura Suzuki’s Blake Baggett to continue their recent surge. Roczen was in a position to earn back-to-back wins at Thunder Valley this past weekend, but a flat front tire caused a couple crashes that allowed Dungey to steal away the win. Despite that, Roczen has moved up to fourth in the 450 Class standings and the defending champion is showing consistent improvement since finishing outside the top 10 at the opening round. He’s also the defending race winner at Muddy Creek. For Baggett, Thunder Valley signified a career best outing as the rookie earned his first ever 450 Class podium and with it he moved into third in the championship. Through six motos this season, only Dungey and Baggett have finished inside the top 10 each time, which undoubtedly is why they sit first and third, respectively, in the early title hunt.

In the 250 Class, Thunder Valley proved to be an opportunity for Martin to bounce back from an adversity-filled afternoon the week prior at Glen Helen. Martin not only earned the Motosport.com Holeshot Award in each moto, he went on to lead every lap en route to a 1-1 sweep. Despite having two wins in three races, Martin was forced to battle the incredible consistency of Red Bull KTM’s Marvin Musquin, who shared the points lead after Hangtown and took sole possession of it following his victory at Glen Helen. The Frenchman carried a 19-point lead into Thunder Valley, but an uncharacteristic crash in the first moto left him with a 14^th-place result while Martin cruised to victory. Musquin bounced back to salvage the day with a runner-up finish in the final moto but the damage was done by Martin, and a 21-point swing moved the defending champion into a two-point advantage coming into the Tennessee National. As the inaugural winner at Muddy Creek, Musquin hopes he can enjoy a comeback race of his own to keep the drama high in this early championship battle.

Thunder Valley was also the site of Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider Zach Osborne’s best career Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship result. With the momentum of a second-place overall finish, the Virginia native is more eager than ever to return to his hometown track to try and not only earn his first win on U.S. soil, but also give Husqvarna its first ever 250 Class victory.

In just two years of hosting the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, Muddy Creek Raceway has become one of the most popular venues and most anticipated races on the schedule. As the championship’s lone visit to the southeast, fans from throughout the region make the trek to this motorsports-heavy corner of Tennessee where the cities of Bristol, Johnson City and Kingsport make up what is affectionately known as the TriCities. The track’s rich soil and undulating layout make for great racing, but perhaps more importantly result in some of the best sight lines for fans in all of Pro Motocross.

The Red Bull Tennessee National gets underway this Saturday, June 6, beginning at 5 a.m. PT / 8 a.m. ET with practice and qualifying. Opening ceremonies begin at at 8:30 a.m. PT / 11:30 a.m. ET, immediately followed by racing at 9 a.m. PT / 12 Noon ET. 

MAVTV will carry LIVE broadcast coverage of the first motos at 9 a.m. PT / 12 Noon ET. The second 450 Class moto will serve as the 2015 season premiere on NBC, which will be showcased LIVE at 11 a.m. PT / 2 p.m. ET. The final 250 Class moto will air via tape delay on NBC Sports Network at 9 p.m. PT / 12 Midnight ET.

All the action from Muddy Creek Raceway can be seen via the online live-stream on ProMotocross.com and the NBC Sports Live Extra app.

Previous Round Results

Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship
True Value Thunder Valley National
Thunder Valley MX Park – Lakewood, Colorado
May 30, 2015
Round 3 of 12

450 Class (Moto Finish)

1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM (2-1)
2. Ken Roczen, Germany, Suzuki (3-2)
3. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Suzuki (4-3)
4. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Suzuki (5-5)
5. Cole Seely, Newbury Park, Calif., Honda (8-4)
6. Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., Yamaha (7-6)
7. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda (1-33)
8. Christophe Pourcel, France, Husqvarna (11-7)
9. Phil Nicoletti, Cohocton, N.Y., Yamaha (10-9)
10. Justin Brayton, Fort Dodge, Iowa, KTM (9-10)

450 Class Championship Standings 

1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM, 128
2. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda, 125
3. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Suzuki, 99
4. Ken Roczen, Germany, Suzuki, 93
5. Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., Yamaha, 87
6. Weston Peick, Wildomar, Calif., Yamaha, 79
7. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Suzuki, 75
8. Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Husqvarna, 72
9. Christophe Pourcel, France, Husqvarna, 72
10. Phil Nicoletti, Cohocton, N.Y., Yamaha, 62

250 Class (Moto Finish) 

1. Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Yamaha (1-1)
2. Zach Osborne, Abingdon, Va., Husqvarna (2-3)
3. Adam Cianciarulo, Port Orange, Fla., Kawasaki (5-4)
4. Jessy Nelson, Paso Robles, Calif., KTM (3-7)
5. Christian Craig, Plymouth, Minn., Honda (4-6)
6. Jordon Smith, Belmont, N.C., Honda (6-5)
7. Marvin Musquin, France, KTM (14-2)
8. RJ Hampshire, Hudson, Fla., Honda (9-10)
9. Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, Yamaha (13-8)
10. Shane McElrath, Canton, N.C., KTM (12-9)

250 Class Championship Standings

1. Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Yamaha, 128
2. Marvin Musquin, France, KTM, 126
3. Jessy Nelson, Paso Robles, Calif., KTM, 80
4. Adam Cianciarulo, Port Orange, Fla., Kawasaki, 76
5. Joey Savatgy, Thomasville, Georgia, Kawasaki, 72
6. Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., Yamaha, 68
7. Zach Osborne, Abingdon, Va., Husqvarna, 67
8. Shane McElrath, Canton, N.C., KTM, 65
9. Matt Bisceglia, Tualatin, Ore., Honda, 64
10. Chris Alldredge, Powell Butte, Ore., Kawasaki, 62

For tickets and additional information, please visit AlliSports.com/motocross and LIKE the Pro Motocross Facebook page and follow @ProMotocross on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive content and additional information on the latest Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship news.