RV brings Momentum
US MX Budds Creek
www.fullnoise.com.au Motocross News
This Saturday, Southern Maryland's Budds Creek MX Park will host the world's best riders for Round 5 of the 2013 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing.
Click here for the animated track map.
Taking place in Mechanicsville, just an hour
outside of the nation's capital, the 23rd Annual Red Bull Budds Creek National
will set the stage for two of the most highly contested championships in Lucas
Oil Pro Motocross history.
Current points leader and 2011 champion Ryan
Villopoto will go head-to-head with reigning champ Ryan
Dungey in the 450 Class, while Ken Roczen and Eli
Tomac will both attempt to become the second repeat winner in the 250 Class asMarvin
Musquin looks to secure his third consecutive win at Budds Creek.
Monster Energy Kawasaki's Villopoto captured his
third overall victory of the season at High Point Raceway with a clean sweep in
the 450 Class, giving the points leader a total of seven moto wins to date.
Villopoto's successful season has given him considerable momentum heading into
Round 5 this weekend, where he looks to extend his points lead at Budds Creek.
The
only rider to beat Villopoto this season is Red Bull KTM's Dungey, who sits in
a close second place in the championship standings. Dungey secured the overall
win in Tennessee with a big win in Moto 2. That, paired with a third place in
the first moto, allowed Dungey to trump Villopoto's score of (1-4) for the day. Winning at Budds Creek isn't a new concept for
the Minnesota native, as he took the win in 2010 and 2012. Additionally, Dungey
is the only rider to finish on the podium in all eight motos thus far, and will
look for his second win of 2013 at Budds Creek.
In his first full season in the 450 Class, Team Honda Muscle Milk's Justin Barcia is holding his own amongst the sport's most decorated racers.
Barcia's highlight of the season was at Round 3 where he battled with Villopoto
and Dungey in both motos, ultimately finishing second overall.
Barcia currently sits third in the championship standings with a consistent
string of top five finishes. Team Honda Muscle Milk's Trey Canard trails his
teammate Barcia in the points, holding fourth place ahead of
Smartop/MotoConcepts Racing's Mike Alessi.
Last round, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Tyla Rattray earned his first career
podium in the 450 Class with a pair of fourth place finishes. Rattray, a
previous winner at Budds Creek in the 250 Class, looks to contest for another
podium finish this weekend in the 450 Class.
Through
the first four rounds of 250 Class competition, three different riders have
stood atop the podium. Last round in Pennsylvania, Red Bull KTM's Musquin
became the first repeat winner in the 250 Class, besting his teammate Roczen
for the overall victory. However, it wasn't until Moto 2 at High Point that
Musquin secured his first career moto win in the U.S.
Roczen has been the most dominant rider in the 250 Class this season, holding
five of the eight moto wins, as well as the points lead heading into Round 5.
But in addition to his teammate Musquin, Roczen has several riders on his heels
in the chase for a championship.
GEICO Honda's Tomac sits in second place in the championship standings, only
five points behind Roczen and seven points ahead of Musquin. Tomac captured the
overall victory in his home state of Colorado and then went on to secure his
second moto win the next week in Tennessee, proving that he will be a
championship contender alongside the Red Bull KTM duo this season.
Currently in the midst of its third decade of motocross competition, Budds
Creek is one of the most renowned tracks on the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross
Championship schedule.
Sitting in the shadow of the nation's capital, it is a popular stop for riders
and fans alike thanks to its stellar sight lines, thrilling elevation changes,
and challenging terrain. The facility has produced some of the most memorable
moments in American Motocross since hosting its first national in 1989.
Top Image: Villopoto leads the
highly competitive 450 Class into Round 5 this weekend
Courtesy: Simon Cudby
