Under the blistering sun, the gates dropped at the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championships Zions Bank Utah National at Miller Motorsports Park in the penultimate race of the season.
“This race matters a lot,” said Steve “Lurch” Scott, announcer for the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championships. “On one hand, you have a rider in Ryan Dungey who could clinch his 450X class championship title here in Utah, and on the other side, this difficult track could play title spoiler in the 250X class. So many factors are at play today, and nobody knows at the end of the day where we will be in the 250X class race. Two points separate the riders at the start of the races, and if either of the two top riders have a bad day here, it very well could end their season.”
Beginning the day with a 79-point lead in the 450X class, Dungey needed a win or a second-place finish in Moto 1 or 2 to clinch the title. Falling into third after the start, Dungey slowly inched to the front, edging into first place halfway through the race. Once in the lead, Dungey pulled away from the field, taking the win and in turn clinching the title, his seventh professional motocross championship of his career.
“This is the scenario you dream about as a kid growing up riding dirt bikes,” said Dungey. “First off to be a professional riding a dirt bike for a career is a dream come true for me. To win a championship takes an immense amount of preparation, and you have to have a solid foundation of support behind you from the race team to your personal family, and I have that. And I am thankful for it. Twenty-four total Moto races in a season is a lot of racing, and any hiccup along the way can be the difference of a title and second place. This team was so consistent all year long, and it showed today as we were all able to celebrate in a championship.”
With the series title win, Dungey swept the 2015 motocross season, winning championship titles in both Supercross and Pro Motocross.
“To be able to wrap up a Supercross championship was awesome,” said Dungey. “But to be able to win a Pro Motocross championship in the same season is special. This is my second season sweep with my first coming in 2010. This sweep is extra special to me because we really had to earn it. I pushed myself to my best today. I wanted to have two solid Moto races today and not be caught off guard by anything, and I was able to come away with the title.”
Dungey carried on his winning momentum into the second Moto of the day where he again worked his way to the lead to win both 450X class Motos of the day.
In contrast to the large points lead that Dungey had on the 450X class field, the 250X class defending series champion and current points leader, Jeremy Martin, came into the Utah National in a tight battle with Supercross champion Marvin Musquin with only two points separating them.
After two 250X class Motos, the riders left with two points still the margin of difference after each rider had a first and third place finish to their day.
Musquin led the majority of the 250X class Moto 1 race cruising to a first place victory, and for a brief period of time held the slim points lead due to a third-place finish by Martin. In Moto 2, Martin used strong, aggressive riding to push his way to the front and capture a first-place win while Musquin fell from first to cross the finish line in third. Since both riders had the same position wins on the day, each scored the same amount of points and will enter the final race of the season with the same two points separating them. Since the higher finishing rider in Moto 2 is used for the tiebreaker, Martin was the overall winner with Musquin second overall on the day.
“My goal for the Utah National was to race my style of race and get back to what has gotten me into the points lead,” said Martin. “I haven’t won an overall for a few weeks, and I knew that I needed to be as consistent as feasible to maintain this small points margin, and if I stick to my game plan, my season long plan, I fully expect to defend my title from last season and come away with the title this season.”
Second-place overall rider Musquin remained positive about his chances for winning the title.
“I am content with my racing today,” said Musquin. “I wasn’t able to advance myself in the standings, but I did not lose any ground either. There were aspects about my racing today that I will use as momentum going into the final race. There are definitely some things I can do better, but honestly I don’t feel like Jeremy (Martin) has been that consistent, so if I can put together two solid final races of the year, I will come out on top and end my time on the 250X class bike with a season Supercross and Pro Motocross sweep.”
Utah native Landen Powell qualified for the main Motos, placing 32 in Moto 1 but withdrew from Moto 2, citing numbness in his hand. Powell, who recently had surgery on the hand, experienced severe pain and numbness and said that he “couldn’t feel his handle bars and that for the safety of himself and other riders that it would be best to withdraw from the race.”