7th Rd. Supercross 2017 – Minneapolis, MN (USA)

 

All three Red Bull KTM factory riders were seeded into 450SX Heat 1 but it was Rocky Mountain ATV*MC/WPS/KTM’s David Millsaps who shot out to the front on the opening lap. Ryan Dungey powered his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION into the 2nd place position early on where he set his sights on Millsaps out front. Trey Canard tucked his KTM 450 SX-F into a top-four position off the start where he quickly made his way into 3rd behind Dungey.
 
Dungey and Millsaps battled it out for the lead position but in the end it was Millsaps who took the heat race win, with Dungey in a close 2nd. Canard held strong to capture a 3rd place transfer position into the Main Event.
 
Marvin Musquin got hit from behind by another rider on the opening lap, causing him to go down and fall back to 17th place. Despite a valiant effort to come back and finish 7th in the race, Musquin was forced to enter the semi-final. There, Musquin dominated the race to earn a decent gate pick for the Main Event.
 
Main Event
Millsaps powered his KTM 450 SX-F to a great start once again, with Dungey and Musquin inside the top six on the opening lap. Dungey quickly moved into the 2nd place position behind Eli Tomac, while Musquin climbed his way into 3rd around lap five. Throughout the 26-lap Main Event Musquin continued to increase the pressure on Dungey and with only a few laps to go Musquin made the move on his teammate to take over the 2nd place position.
 
Musquin put on a charge to catch up to within six seconds of Tomac out front, where he was able to pull a gap on Dungey to ultimately finish 15 seconds ahead for 2nd place.
 
Musquin: “The day started off rough – I got hit from behind in the heat race and went down. I was trying to go through safe but it didn’t work out. Thankfully we won the semi and get a decent gate pick that was the goal. It actually was not that bad going to the semi because you get to do more laps and learn more of the track. In the Main Event I was able to make some good passes in the beginning but they (Tomac and Dungey) had a good gap on me and I was trying to put on the charge. I thought it was going to be tough to catch those guys. Obviously Ryan made a mistake but the lappers were really tough out there and the sand section was difficult but I felt like I did good through there. After winning last weekend and then to back it up with a 2nd place tonight is pretty awesome.”
 
Dungey, who made a mistake early in the race that could have cost him a podium finish, earned a solid 3rd place finish to claim his sixth podium finish of the season.
 
Dungey: “I definitely had a close call there at the beginning. That section was tricky all day, it sent me into a dive but luckily I saved it and I was able to jump off the side of the track. I had a good charge with Eli at the beginning but he was riding really well and he was able to break away. I made a couple mistakes and then there was Marvin – when he passed me, I saw some of his lines and they were good. It’s good to be back home and to have Minneapolis back on the stop. It’s cool that these people in Minnesota were able to get a taste of Supercross once again and it’s good for the sport.”
 
Canard didn’t get the best start, where he came around the opening lap in 13th place. The Oklahoma native was able to climb his way inside the top ten through the first half of the race where he ultimately finished 8th place in the Main Event.
 
250SX East Class
The 250SX East Championship kicked off on Saturday and TLD Red Bull KTM’s Jordon Smith got off to a great start with a 2nd place finish in the class. Smith jumped out of the gate to assume the early lead aboard his KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION where he maintained the lead through the first half of the race. Smith eventually dropped to the 2nd place position where he nailed down a podium finish in the opening round of the East division.
 
Smith: “I knew I had to get a good start out there, the track was really one lined and I knew it was going to be tough to pass. I got a really good start and just tried to hit my lines and stay clear of the lappers, it was pretty tough out there with all the ruts and stuff. Overall it was a good race and I’m glad to get out of here with a good finish.”

Next Round: February 25, 2017 – Atlanta, GA (USA)

Results 450SX Class Minneapolis 2017
1. Eli Tomac (USA), Kawasaki, 21:28.116 min (26 laps)
2. Marvin Musquin (FRA), KTM, +6.701 sec
3. Ryan Dungey (USA), KTM, +15.047  
4. Jason Anderson (USA), Husqvarna, +40.954
5. Cole Seely (USA), Honda, +44.347
Other KTM
6. David Millsaps (USA), KTM, +51.058
8. Trey Canard (USA), KTM, 25 laps, +14.334
9. Blake Baggett (USA), KTM, +15.022

Standings 450SX Class 2017 after 7 of 18 rounds
1. Dungey, 149 points
2. Musquin, 133
3. Tomac, 125
4. Seely, 123
5. Anderson, 103
Other KTM
6. Millsaps, 98
11. Baggett, 63

Results/Standings 250SX East Class Arlington 2017 after 1 of 9 rounds
1. Joey Savatgy (USA), Kawasaki, 16:11.945 min, 25 points (19 laps)
2. Jordan Smith (USA), KTM, +1.491 sec, 22
3. Zach Osborne (USA), Husqvarna, +1.783, 20
4. RJ Hampshire (USA), Honda, +24.021, 18 
5. Adam Cianciarulo (USA), Kawasaki, +34.053, 16
Other KTM
DNF Alex Martin (USA), KTM