2018 Lucas Oil Pro MX Nationals

[gnomesayin]

Tomac and Osborne absolutely dominated last week at Hangtown.

Watching the racing from Glen Helen now. Good course and racing in the second 250 Moto. Supercross is a lot of fun, but this is superior. Tomac won the first 450 race. Roczen looked much stronger than last week finishing third.

I also like NBCSN's more serious coverage of MX to Fox Sports' bombastic SX telecasts, especially the commentators. But frankly the styles fit.

 

[Clutch]

Tomac and Osborne absolutely dominated last week at Hangtown.

Watching the racing from Glen Helen now. Good course and racing in the second 250 Moto. Supercross is a lot of fun, but this is superior. Tomac won the first 450 race. Roczen looked much stronger than last week finishing third.

I also like NBCSN's more serious coverage of MX to Fox Sports' bombastic SX telecasts, especially the commentators. But frankly the styles fit.

I'm watching as well....

 

[gnomesayin]

Bummer for Roczen in the second race. I thought Musquin would be able to run down Anderson, but he's losing ground. Looks like only Tomac would have a chance from third.

 

[gnomesayin]

Wow, Tomac is just amazing when he's on.

 

[Taco]

Tomac is a total animal.

He blew by Anderson, like he had an extra cylinder at the end.

 

[gnomesayin]

Tomac is a total animal.

He blew by Anderson, like he had an extra cylinder at the end.

I didn't catch any interviews or post-race stuff. The announcers were speculating that something was wrong with Anderson's bike, as much as he slowed up. Did this get addressed?

 

[KTMLew01]

Anderson doesn't make any excuses when he gets beat. Said he was doing his best but Tomac had another gear.

 

[gnomesayin]

For an outdoor race, that was a strong performance for Anderson even if he gave way in the end.

Roczen made it all the way back to 8th and Baggett to 9th.

 

[KTMLew01]

For an outdoor race, that was a strong performance for Anderson even if he gave way in the end.

Roczen made it all the way back to 8th and Baggett to 9th.

I had completely written off Roczen. Unbelievable that he has done this well. IMO he would be well served to shoot for 5-10th. Just cruise to consistent finishes this outdoor season. Get completely healthy. I've been watching or participating in motorcycle racing for nearly 50 years. Lost count of the times I've seen formerly great riders say they screwed up their carrer by NOT talking enough time off to properly heal.

 

[LewTheShoe]

After four months of Supercross, it's nice to see real MX. I enjoy SX, but outdoor MX is better racing. It is real dirt bike racing... IMO.

I'm fascinated by Supercross as a creative business endeavor. And I enjoy the hard, intense racing despite the Mickey Mouse character of it. But dirt bike racing should be more than 1st and 2nd gear point and shoot with constant Big Air...

I've also been watching the FIM MXGP races on CBS Sports. That field is as thin as the AMA series in terms of contenders for race wins. There aren't enough top riders for one series, much less for two. But for Americans to contest the world events would mean passing on US Supercross... Ain't gonna happen.

 

[gnomesayin]

Truly fantastic racing between Tomac and Roczen. Roczen held him off for a long time, is definitely gaining pace.

 

[Hotrod]

It has been thrilling watching Tomac in this years outdoor season. Especially if he
has to come through from 6th or 7th. The one thing I have noticed with him over the past couple
of years is his finishes are so much stronger. Back then he would have a good bit
of fall off the last 20% of the race. He is also flying through the ruts as if they weren't there.

The thing that hooked me on supercross was being high and dry indoors while spectating.
After you have spent a couple of mx races outdoors in the rain and mud, it quickly becomes
an experience you choose not to repeat again.

 

[Nitro Dude]

When we were drag racing in Bristol 2 weeks ago Tomacs hauler driver and a few of the other hauler drivers stopped by the race because they were going to race there in Tennessee the following weekend. Now I'm sitting in Epping NH waiting for our next race in a couple of weeks and they are racing this weekend in Southwick Mass about 150 miles from Epping, so I think I will jump in the rental car and head down there this weekend.

 

[gnomesayin]

Somehow this championship has become interesting. A few weeks ago there was talk of whether Tomac could win every single moto this year. Now Musquin has grabbed the points lead and has momentum. Also good to see Roczen continuing to gain.

 

[gnomesayin]

At Washougal today to see my first MX national in person. Great facility here that they put a lot of care and work into. First 250 moto was great and closely contested between Savagty and Forkner, who don't seem to race each other like teammates, lol. 450 class played out as expected: 1. Tomac 2. Musquin 3. Roczen. Looking forward to the second motos.

 

[gnomesayin]

Some fantastic battles in the second 450 race with Tomac forced to run down all of the other top riders after a poor start. The result was expected, as Tomac is on another level currently. Getting there was fun to watch.

 

[gnomesayin]

Congrats to Tomac on another 450 MX championship. Not a great day for him, but more than enough to secure the title. Barcia was the man today in the mud.

I was surprised to see Chad Reed entered, and equally surprised he posted strong 5th and 8th place finishes. Maybe he should do more than just Supercross.

 

[DUN24]

On to the ME Cup and SX!

 

[Nitro Dude]

Since I'm always here in Indy a week and a half early waiting for the U.S Nationals drag race I always go to the Ironman race. The riders sure had their work cut out for them yesterday racing in all of that mud. Because I'm still healing from a car crash I was in at Somoma CA a few weeks ago I spent more time sitting in Tomacs pit then I did watching the race. When Tomac came back from practice he looked like he had rode through a chocolate machine.

 

[DUN24]

Since I'm always here in Indy a week and a half early waiting for the U.S Nationals drag race I always go to the Ironman race. The riders sure had their work cut out for them yesterday racing in all of that mud. Because I'm still healing from a car crash I was in at Somoma CA a few weeks ago I spent more time sitting in Tomacs pit then I did watching the race. When Tomac came back from practice he looked like he had rode through a chocolate machine.

Car crash??

 

[Nitro Dude]

Car crash??

Yes. On the way to the track on Sun morning a few weeks ago at Sonoma 4 of us crew guys were in our rental car and when we were about half a mile from the track a girl ran a red light and hit the right side of the car which I was sitting on dead center at 65 mph and rolled us 2 times before we landed on the right side. It gave me a little whip lash and banged up some ribs that I had broke in another rollover crash a few years ago when one of our crew guys fell asleep at the wheel and we rolled 5 times west of Phoenix AZ. But, at least this time we all walked away with no fatalities.

 

[gnomesayin]

Holy ****. I've had pretty much that same thing happen to me, but at around 40 mph, not 65. Makes a big difference. Hope you heal up soon.

 

[DUN24]

Yes. On the way to the track on Sun morning a few weeks ago at Sonoma 4 of us crew guys were in our rental car and when we were about half a mile from the track a girl ran a red light and hit the right side of the car which I was sitting on dead center at 65 mph and rolled us 2 times before we landed on the right side. It gave me a little whip lash and banged up some ribs that I had broke in another rollover crash a few years ago when one of our crew guys fell asleep at the wheel and we rolled 5 times west of Phoenix AZ. But, at least this time we all walked away with no fatalities.

Oh my god, glad you’re alright, sorry about the rotten luck the last few years.

 

[Nitro Dude]

Oh my god, glad you’re alright, sorry about the rotten luck the last few years.

Thanks Dun24... it could have turned out a lot worse then it did.

 

[LewTheShoe]

Outdoor MX is so much more interesting to watch than Supercross. It is real racing. I respect SX as an innovative entertainment medium that has been very successful. And I respect SX for the rider skills required. But the mickey mouse race courses required to fit in a football stadium just don't capture my fancy the way a fast, steep outdoor track does. Just my $0.02.

Personally, the mud race finale was painful to watch... conjuring up memories of several extreme mud races I flailed at back in the day. (I never raced motocross. After retiring from roadracing, I messed around with cross country enduros on forest trails, just for fun.)