MX After-Party: Ironman

450 Class

Eli Tomac - 1st

"It was a much better weekend for us out at Crawfordsville. We had somewhat normal conditions; it was still a pretty soft track with lots of ruts. I'd say half of the track was really nice, and the other half was soft still and pretty technical. We started off a little slow in practice, but I knew once the track dried out a little, we would be good to go. Grabbing the overall today was huge for us. We're taking it race by race and doing just what we did today by finishing on top. I appreciate the Monster Energy Kawasaki team for all their hard work this past week; that was a great rebound for us."

Marvin Musquin - 2nd

"It's huge right now to get a moto win and to be back where I am right now. Even though it's a second overall and the second moto didn't go as planned, that first moto was awesome – I was not tired or anything. In the second moto, the start was decent, but I was behind the top guys, and I knew it would be hard to pass those guys back. I wasn't riding quite the same as the first moto, so I, unfortunately, lost the rhythm and contact with those guys – they were on it. Overall, I'm happy. It's an improvement on last weekend with a moto win and second overall."

Adam Cianciarulo - 3rd

"The day started off really good, especially with qualifying fastest. I had a lot of comfort on the bike from the start, thanks to the great communication with the team; they really had my KX450 dialed. I kind of blew it off the start in the first moto, but I was able to pass what felt like 15 guys in the first lap and finished third. I got a great start in the second moto, which was awesome, and it felt really good to lead some laps. Obviously, the goal is to win each time we get out on the track, but I'm proud of the effort we put out there today. I can't be too frustrated because I had the speed, and I gave it everything I had. I'm so stoked for the entire Kawasaki team. We'll work to improve on some of those minor things and just keep proving I belong up front and on the podium."

Justin Barcia - 4th

"We got a bad start in the first moto but had a good charge to sixth. The second moto was another one of those not so great starts, but the charge was one for the books, for sure. I made a lot of passes on guys and had some great battles. Then the last few laps, Eli (Tomac) and I were up front, and I was chasing him hard, but I just wasn't able to quite get him. It was a really fun race, though, and I gave it everything I had.

"The bike worked really well today. The track was awesome. It was really rough. We had deep ruts, slick spots, wet spots… it was a little bit of everything. We needed that to see where the bike was actually at because the first two races were kind of different, so you didn't know what you had. This was a good race to show us that we're here for the championship and we're going for it. All in all, I'd say it was a positive day. We're just going to keep plugging away and try to get some wins."

Zach Osborne - 5th

"It was a decent weekend," Osborne said. "The first moto was a bit of a struggle for me, and I just couldn't find a rhythm from halfway on. The second moto, I was able to rebound and come out with a holeshot and get a third place. In the end, it was a decent salvage, and I'll keep plugging away."

Chase Sexton - 6th

"Today was a much better day for me. I was a lot more consistent and had two solid motos--a fourth and fifth. Overall, I'm making progress and learning a lot every race. My goal was to jump on the podium and win races by the end of the series, so we're on the right track. Hopefully, at RedBud we get up on the podium and mix it up with the top guys."

Blake Baggett - 7th

"I felt good out there today. My starts were there, and I had the pace in both motos. We will put in the work this week, and make a few changes to the bike for a top-five finish at RedBud next weekend."

Dean Wilson - 8th

"The third lap of the first practice, I had a big crash and went over the bars, so it was a little rough heading into the motos," Wilson said. "You have your good days and your bad days, but we never gave up and kept pushing through it. I'm looking forward to just improving every weekend."

Broc Tickle - 9th

"I'm not 100% happy with my results overall today, but I felt like I rode my hardest. We made some changes throughout the day. In the second moto, I was able to push as hard as I could. I really made it tough on myself in both motos by starting way back, the first moto especially. The goal this week is to focus on getting some good starts at RedBud and throughout the rest of the season. I think I can put myself in a good position in dry conditions if I can do that. I'm a little bummed out because I left a lot on the table by being so far back in the first half of the race, but I'm stoked on my fitness and on the progress we've made with the team and the bike. I want to thank them, and I also want to thank my sponsors and everybody who has been supporting me over the last three years. It's awesome to come back and be competitive. It's kind of a surreal feeling for me."

Christian Craig - 10th

"I went into the motos really confident and ready to show what I had, but unfortunately, I had a bad start again. Bad starts have kind of been my thing all season, so I need to turn that around. I was ninth until the second-to-last corner. I tipped over and ended up 11th, which wasn't terrible, but not great. I got off to a better start in the second moto, but fell in the first turn and then tipped over again. I ended up being dead last coming around the first lap. I put my head down and charged as hard as I could after that and actually rode a lot better. I made my way up to 12th. I ended up with 11-12 results and 10th overall. It wasn't a terrible day, but I know I belong in the top 10 consistently, so I look forward to RedBud."

Freddie Noren - 11th

"My speed was good this weekend, and I'm excited to continue to work on that as we race on this summer." Noren gave his plan for stronger results, "I had too many smaller mistakes that I need to clean up, but my starts were good, and the speed is there, so we're looking forward to the next race at RedBud to improve."

Joey Savatgy - 14th

"It was a tough weekend for me. These first three rounds haven't gone according to plan at all," Savatgy said after the race. "On paper, it doesn't look like much, but I am improving slowly. I just need to keep going in the right direction." 

Max Anstie - 18th

"Not the day we wanted at Ironman, but as a team, we will take the positives away from the day," said Max Anstie. "Time to heal up and regroup for the next two rounds at RedBud in five days."

Justin Bogle - 19th

"Not the day I was looking for. I felt good coming in and had a great jump off the gate in moto 1. It was unfortunate I went down the way I did because I rode well in the second moto. We are making progress and looking forward to the doubleheader at RedBud next weekend."

Adam Enticknap - 34th

"Experiencing Ironman for the first time was an eye-opener," said Adam Enticnkap. "The track had huge jumps and felt a lot like a pro track. Practices were a mud hole again, but my team helped me with techniques and ended up getting my best qualification so far. My first moto was not up to par, but I was able to turn it around in 2nd moto. I got a bad start, but I ran top 20 lap times throughout the race. This was huge for me, and I am happy to be building and excited to see what I can do with a good start at RedBud this Friday!"

Jason Anderson - 41st

"The day didn't end up the best for me," Anderson said. "I ended up having a decent practice and then went into the first moto and had a little mishap injury-wise and wasn't able to finish out the motos."

250 Class

Jeremy Martin - 1st

"Third-fastest qualifier, and then in moto one it was Dylan and I off the gate," explained Martin. "I got to give credit where credit is due. He was the better man in moto one. I was just trying to do what I could to learn from him at that point, and then I was like, well, we'll go into moto two and see if we can improve on it. Got the holeshot. I didn't actually know what happened to Dylan, but I just rode my race and raced forward and managed to gap over Justin Cooper and was able to go 2-1 for first overall."

"I would attest a lot of it to breaking my back," said Martin of the injury from 2018. "The stuff I had to overcome, for me, it opened my eyes up to a whole new world of just how mentally tough I can be. It just kind of like calloused my mind to where I think it's really helped benefit me from a professional athlete standpoint, being mentally strong."

Dylan Ferrandis - 2nd

"The morning was really muddy, but we had the best conditions that we could have for the afternoon moto. The track was really, really good today. Everything that we want to have on a motocross track was there today. So it was really good. I got the holeshot in the first moto and won. It was an easy moto. I felt awesome. In the second moto, I crashed at the start, in the first corner. Then I had to come back, so I gave it everything I had. I really tried my best to finish third and second overall, and we salvaged some points. That's a little bit frustrating to have to salvage points. I wish I could have been far from the trouble and just do the 1-1. That's what I want to do again. Next week we will bounce back."

Justin Cooper - 4th

"Overall, it was a good day of progress. I'm still making changes with the bike to find what works for me. I haven't had much time to test with the team because of the injury I'm coming back from. I made a good change for Moto 2, which put us back on the podium. Like I said, we're making good progress. I'm looking to keep moving up the chart, and I'm feeling better and better each time out."

Jett Lawrence - 5th

"I just wanted to get out two consistent races with no mistakes, which I did pretty good," said the young Australian. "I just had a crash in the first race trying to pass for third, but it's definitely better than last weekend's race, so I'm pretty happy with it. Really, I just need to get my passing down cause I could not pass even if my life depended on it!"

Alex Martin - 6th

"We had some good speed this weekend with a fifth in qualifying," Martin commented. "Unfortunately, my starts were just not what they should've been, and I spent all day passing other racers. I was able to salvage a sixth overall, and I'm looking forward to RedBud!"

Shane McElrath 7th

"It was tough conditions out there today. I started off the day better as the fastest qualifier, but two bad starts put me in a hole from the beginning. The track was super technical and hard to pass. Some lines were very good, and some were very bad. I was trying hard not to follow, but line choices really hurt me as well. I learned a lot today, and I'm taking every piece of momentum I can get."

Jo Shimoda - 8th

"Yeah, I was feeling good from time qualifying, and the whole day, I was P2 and P6 in the two sessions, and I was able to get a good gate for moto one," said Shimoda. "Good jump on the start, but I got pinched, which got me into mid pack, and four laps in I accidentally put it in neutral and fell in the corner and finished 12th. Moto two, good start; I was fourth into the second turn, but my mistake, I stalled the bike. I started from 12th and caught up to fifth, but at the end of moto got passed by two guys for seventh. Still, I'm much happier this weekend. I was frustrated really bad with the last two races, so approaching this race I felt much stronger mentally."

Mitchell Harrison - 9th

"I am really happy with my starts, and now I just need to keep some small mistakes to a minimum to help me stay near the front," said Harrison. "It wasn't too memorable of a day, but I am already getting excited for two rounds at my home track at RedBud. We'll see if we can get it on the podium next week."

Carson Mumford - 10th

"It was tough for me to learn a new track while it was muddy in the morning," said Mumford. "I really didn't even feel comfortable until the second moto when it got rough, then it was really fun and my type of track. My starts weren't good, but I made something of the day. Racing these longer pro races, one thing I've learned is that it's really important to charge every lap with little mistakes. You can't give up because there will be guys that are 30-40 seconds in front of you in the beginning of the race, and then by the end, you're right on them, where in amateurs, the race is normally over in 15 minutes. You just have to keep charging!"

RJ Hampshire - 12th

"My day started off with a big crash in practice and kind of spiraled from there," Hampshire said. "I crashed mid-way through the first moto, but I felt pretty good on the bike and was able to come back to fifth. I'm looking to have good starts at RedBud and stay on the bike."

Cameron Mcadoo - 13th

"I felt good during the day but couldn't make a lot of it work in my favor," said McAdoo. "My starts definitely hurt me a bit, and I'll be working to get those more dialed for RedBud. We still have a lot of racing left, and I know I have more to show. Really looking forward to two chances next weekend."

Hunter Lawrence - 16th

"Yeah, mate, it was pretty rough," he explained. "Really, I'm happy to be able to race after last weekend but bummed on the results. We'll just keep working on the physio and getting the shoulder stronger. Looking forward to next weekend."

Team Personnel

Jim Roach – Yamaha Racing Department Manager 

"Today was an exciting day at Ironman. The track started off very wet with some overnight rain. It dried throughout the day, so the conditions were constantly changing on the track. Both guys were on pace all day. In Moto 1, they didn't get a very good start, but they put in some good times and worked their way into a top-10 finish. In race two, the starts were still not the best, but Justin managed to run up front, made a solid charge for the lead, and finished second. Broc finished in the top 10 again to end the day ninth overall. We leave here with Justin still third in the points, and he closed the gap a little bit on the leader. So overall, it was a good weekend. We're looking forward to the doubleheader at RedBud next week. Things are rolling right along."

Erik Kehoe - Team Honda HRC Manager

"Our guys' end result today, overall, didn't reflect how well they rode. Starts weren't as good as they could've been, and we had some tip-overs and mistakes. Things happen, but I think both guys rode better than the end result. That was the best I've seen Chase ride a 450 so far. They both learned a lot this weekend, and we got something to build on for next week."

Dustin Pipes - H.E.P Motorsports Team Manager

"Round 3 of the series came and went with a lot of excitement, but not the type of excitement we were looking for. The day started out good with Max qualifying in 7th place, ensuring a top starting position. Unfortunately, that is where things took a turn. While running in 8th place, we had a mechanical failure on the last lap, causing the team to do a full motor swap in between races. Our team did a great job with communication, and we were able to turn to the bike around for the final race. But our bad luck continued with Max suffering a violent wreck and a trip to the hospital. We are very fortunate the scans came back clear, and he is going to be lining up the next round. Overall, Ironman was a learning experience for the team and something I feel we can bounce back from leading into Round 4 at Redbud."

Jeremy Albrecht - JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Racing

"All three guys did well in qualifying and had some good starts. A few mistakes made the weekend not go to plan. Alex went off the track early in the first moto and lost a few spots. In the second moto, he had a bad start and pushed hard to finish sixth. Both Freddie and Joey were in good positions before problems in the first moto. Joey had a hard crash, and Freddie bent a rear disc. In moto two, Freddie was riding well in the top 10 when he had a crash with only a few laps left. We have a great track coming up this weekend, and we're ready to see these guys do what they are capable of doing on a motocross track."

Wil Hahn – Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing Team Manager

"It was a good day for the team overall. Dylan rode great. In the first moto, it was just like the beginning of the season. Then in the second moto, unfortunately, he and Shane went down in the first corner. To come back, from 30th to 3rd, it's one of the best rides I've seen. Justin's ride was overshadowed a bit in second. It was a great comeback for him as well, with not as much time on the bike with an injury in the preseason. We're looking forward to the RedBud doubleheader next weekend."

Jade Dungey - Mechanic: Chase Sexton

"It was a great day for Chase and the team. We made some great progress on our bike setup, and it showed in Chase's riding. It was awesome to see Chase up front on both starts and put two solid motos together. He's one of the rookies in the 450 class, but he rode like a veteran. In the second moto, he had the second-fastest lap time of the moto, had a tip-over on lap one, and worked his way up from 16th to an impressive fifth place. We're looking forward to the doubleheader at RedBud this week, and to continuing to build to a podium finish before the season is over."

Jordan Troxell - Mechanic: Christian Craig

"Christian's moto scores don't completely reflect how his day went today. After a so-so moto one, he found himself as the only one on the ground in the first corner of moto two. He put his head down and was able to run a good pace, coming back to 12th. Our main focus this week will be starts--better starts next week is our goal."