MX Sports Pro Racing

Roczen and Webb in Control as Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship Makes Anticipated Return to Southwick

by:
Tuesday, July 5, 2016 | 6:40 PM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Media Inquiries:
Brandon Short - Media Manager
949-365-5750
[email protected] 

Roczen and Webb in Control as Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship Makes Anticipated Return to Southwick
Red Bull Southwick National to Air Live on NBC 

MORGANTOWN, W. Va. (July 5, 2016) – The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, has reached its halfway point of the 2016 season and this Saturday, July 9, the second half of the summer schedule will kick off with the series’ anticipated return to one of its most iconic facilities. The famed sand track that is The Wick 338 in Southwick, Massachusetts, will host its first round of the championship since the 2013 season with the Red Bull Southwick National. RCH Soaring Eagle/Jimmy John’s/Suzuki Factory Racing’s Ken Roczen remains in full control of the 450 Class title fight heading into the championship’s return to New England, while Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha’s Cooper Webb has put himself atop the 250 Class standings for the first time in his career. The return of Pro Motocross to the sands of Southwick will be commemorated with live network television coverage of the final 450 Class moto on NBC, beginning at 12:30 p.m. PT / 3:30 p.m. ET. MAVTV will kick start Saturday’s coverage live at 10:00 a.m. PT / 1:00 p.m. ET with first motos of both classes, while NBC Sports Network will close out the afternoon with tape-delayed coverage of the final 250 Class moto at 9:30 p.m. PT / 12:30 a.m. ET. 

Broadcast Coverage of the Red Bull Southwick National:
First Motos (250 & 450 Class) – LIVE on MAVTV at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET
Second 450 Class Moto – LIVE on NBC at 12:30 p.m. PT / 3:30 p.m. ET
Second 250 Class Moto – Tape Delayed on NBC Sports Network at 9:30 p.m. PT / 12:30 a.m. ET
LIVE Coverage can also be streamed via ProMotocross.com and NBC Sports Live Extra App.
Southwick Highlight Show – July 14 at 8 p.m. PT / 11 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network

Race highlights from Round 6, the RedBud National. 
Race highlights from Round 6, the RedBud National. 

The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship has been visiting Southwick since the 1976 season, which served as the marquee motocross event for the entire New England region for more than three decades. After a brief two-year hiatus, the National with arguably one of the strongest legacies of any on the 12-round schedule is back for its 36th running, ready to welcome a new pair of winners. The Wick 338 has been given a little bit of a makeover in anticipation for the return of Pro Motocross, but arguably the most prominent feature for this weekend’s Red Bull Southwick National is a return to its roots when it comes to track direction. When it debuted on the championship in 1976 the Southwick layout ran counter-clockwise and remained that way up until 2006 when it was changed to run in a clockwise direction. With the return of the world’s fastest riders to Massachusetts what better time than now to pay homage to the facilities’ storied history by providing a new challenge for the entire field of competitors. 

The 2016 track layout at The Wick 338 will go counter-clockwise.
The 2016 track layout at The Wick 338 will go counter-clockwise.

This past weekend the championship reached its halfway point at the annual RedBud National, which serves as American motocross’ way of celebrating Independence Day. In the 450 Class it was more of the same dominance from Roczen, who continued to add to his impressive points lead. The German rider swept the motos for the fifth time this season and moved his season moto win total to 11 out of 12, capping off the afternoon with a victory of more than 30 seconds of Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac, the runner-up.

Roczen’s RedBud performance was arguably his most convincing of the season, particularly considering he had to battle his way from around fifth out of the gate in both motos. In the second moto he had to track down early leader Tomac, and proceeded to run away from the field. He went on to lead all but one lap of competition and, as a result, now carries a commanding 53-point lead into the Southwick. That’s more than two full motos worth of points with six rounds and 12 motos of racing remaining. 

Roczen has been unstoppable thus far in 2016.Photo: Simon Cudby 
Roczen has been unstoppable thus far in 2016.Photo: Simon Cudby 

Tomac’s back-to-back runner-up efforts the past two rounds have put him in a position to challenge Roczen, but the Kawasaki rider is still in search of his first victory of the season. In addition to Tomac, Roczen’s RCH Racing teammate Broc Tickle has come on strong the past two rounds, posting back-to-back overall podium finishes that have allowed the Suzuki team to flank the podium. Tickle looks poised to chase down Red Bull KTM’s Marvin Musquin for third in the 450 Class standings after the Frenchman Musquin assumed the position following a fifth-place outing at RedBud. 

RCH Racing has put two bikes on the overall podium in each of the last two rounds.Photo: Simon Cudby 
RCH Racing has put two bikes on the overall podium in each of the last two rounds.Photo: Simon Cudby 

Webb has been a fixture in the 250 Class title fight since the opening round, but he quietly amassed solid results while former points leader and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider Joey Savatgy, along with Webb’s Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha teammates Alex and Jeremy Martin grabbed the spotlight. However, all that changed when Webb broke through for his first overall win of the season two weekends ago in Tennessee, which he backed up with another victory at RedBud. Combine the North Carolina native’s surge of momentum with a pair of hard-luck motos for Savatgy, in which he found himself on the ground on multiple occasions, and you have a complete shift in the championship standings in which a total of 31 points have gone into Webb’s favor, erasing a deficit that once sat at 20 points just two weeks ago.

Instead, Webb has control of the red number plate for the first time in his career as championship leader, carrying an 11-point lead over Savatgy into Southwick. Webb, Savatgy, and current third-place holder Jeremy Martin, the defending back-to-back 250 Class Champion, each have just one start at Southwick, providing little past experience to build from on what will be one of the championship’s most challenging tracks. Martin and Webb finished 14th and 15th, respectively, at Southwick during the 2013 season, while Savatgy failed to finish either moto. It sets the stage for another potential shift in this highly competitive and compelling championship battle.

Webb’s the hottest rider in the 250 Class and now sits atop the championship standings.Photo: Simon Cudby 
Webb’s the hottest rider in the 250 Class and now sits atop the championship standings.Photo: Simon Cudby 

Event Schedule 

Red Bull Southwick National
Round 7: Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship
July 9, 2016 – Southwick, Massachusetts 

Race Day Schedule:

5:30 a.m. PT / 8:30 a.m. ET    Practice & Qualifying
9:30 a.m. PT / 12:30 p.m. ET  Opening Ceremonies
10:00 a.m. PT / 1:00 p.m. ET  First Motos (450 Class & 250 Class)
12:30 p.m. PT / 3:30 p.m. ET  Second Motos (450 Class & 250 Class)

Broadcast Schedule:

July 9 - 10:00 a.m. PT / 1:00 p.m. ET (LIVE) - MAVTV - First Motos (450 & 250 Class)
July 9 - 12:30 p.m. PT / 3:30 p.m. ET (LIVE) - NBC - Second 450 Class Moto
July 9 - 9:30 p.m. PT / 12:30 a.m. ET (July 10) - NBCSN - Second 250 Class Moto
July 14 - 8:00 p.m. PT / 11:00 p.m. ET - NBCSN - Highlight Show 

**BOLD indicates live broadcast.
***All times subject to change. 

Previous Round Results

Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship

RedBud National
RedBud MX – Buchanan, Michigan
July 2, 2016
Round 6 of 12 

450 Class Overall Results (Moto Finish)

  1. Ken Roczen, Germany, Suzuki (1-1)
  2. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki (2-2)
  3. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Suzuki (4-3)
  4. Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., Yamaha (3-4)
  5. Marvin Musquin, France, KTM (5-6)
  6. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Suzuki (7-5)
  7. Christophe Pourcel, France, Husqvarna (6-7)
  8. Matt Bisceglia, Tualatin, Ore., Suzuki (8-8)
  9. Justin Bogle, Cushing, Okla., Honda (10-9)
  10. Benny Bloss, Oak Grove, Mo., KTM (11-10) 

450 Class Championship Standings

  1. Ken Roczen, Germany, Suzuki – 293
  2. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki – 240
  3. Marvin Musquin, France, KTM – 167
  4. Cole Seely, Newbury Park, Calif., Honda – 151
  5. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Suzuki – 147
  6. Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., Yamaha – 146
  7. Christophe Pourcel, France, Husqvarna – 136
  8. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM – 131
  9. Justin Bogle, Cushing, Okla., Honda – 118
  10. Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Husqvarna – 113 

250 Class Overall Results (Moto Finish)

  1. Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., Yamaha (1-1)
  2. Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., Yamaha (3-3)
  3. Zach Osborne, Abingdon, Va., Husqvarna (5-2)
  4. Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Yamaha (4-4)
  5. Shane McElrath, Canton, N.C., KTM (9-5)
  6. Adam Cianciarulo, Port Orange, Fla., Kawasaki (7-8)
  7. Joey Savatgy, Thomasville, Ga., Kawasaki (2-16)
  8. Austin Forkner, Richards, Mo., Kawasaki (6-10)
  9. Arnaud Tonus, Switzerland, Kawasaki (11-6)
  10. Mitchell Oldenburg, Alvord, Texas, KTM (8-9) 

250 Class Championship Standings

  1. Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., Yamaha – 243
  2. Joey Savatgy, Thomasville, Ga., Kawasaki – 232
  3. Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Yamaha – 209
  4. Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., Yamaha – 198
  5. Zach Osborne, Abingdon, Va., Husqvarna – 190
  6. Austin Forkner, Richards, Mo., Kawasaki – 164
  7. Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, Yamaha – 152
  8. Shane McElrath, Canton, N.C., KTM – 124
  9. Mitchell Oldenburg, Alvord, Texas, KTM – 117
  10. RJ Hampshire, Hudson Fla., Honda – 113

For information about the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, please visit ProMotocross.com 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. 

Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship

The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, features the world’s fastest outdoor motocross racers, racing aboard the best bikes each factory offers, on the roughest, toughest tracks in the world. The 12-rounds series begins at Hangtown in May and ends at Indiana's Ironman Raceway in August. It includes stops at the premier motocross racing facilities in America, with events in California, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Michigan, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, Washington, New York and Indiana. The pro riders race on Saturday afternoon, with competition divided into two classes: one for 250cc machines, and one for 450cc machines. The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship is managed by MX Sports Pro Racing, the industry leader in off-road power sports event production. The series is televised on NBC, NBCSN and MAVTV and streamed live on NBC Sports Live Extra.  Series partners include Lucas Oil (series title sponsor), Red Bull, GoPro, WPS, Fly Racing, GEICO Motorcycle, Kawasaki, Motorcycle Superstore, FRAM, KTM, Oakley, FMF, Deltran Battery Tender, Pirelli, Suzuki, Husqvarna, Pivot Works, Vertex, ProGrip, EBC Brakes, KMC Wheels, MotionPro, VP Racing Fuels, Acerbis and Racer X.  More information can be found at www.ProMotocross.com.