Jen Kenyon for MX Sports Pro Racing.
The second annual Zions Bank Utah
National will signify the series' return to the one-of-a-kind track at
Tooele's Miller Motorsports Park, just outside Salt Lake City, where a
season-long battle between Red Bull KTM teammates Ken Roczen and Ryan
Dungey will culminate with one of the two riders walking away as
champion. As the 450 Class title fight continues to unfold, newly
crowned 250 Class Champion Jeremy Martin will pilot his Yamalube/Star
Racing Yamaha on a victory lap, while the battle for second in the
standings ensues over the final two motos.
Entering
the inaugural Indiana National one week ago, Dungey's late season surge
and two-race winning streak has closed the gap between he and Roczen to
a mere seven points. However, Mother Nature took center stage at
Ironman Raceway with a downpour of rain during the early morning hours
that ultimately resulted in a critical shakeup in the points that played
heavily into Roczen's favor.
It's Roczen (left) versus Dungey (right) for one final time in 2014. Photo: Simon Cudby / Racer X
Despite
not winning a single moto since RedBud on Independence Day weekend and
losing 19 points over that span, Roczen rebounded from what appeared to
be a late season funk to return to the forefront of the premier division
and reclaim control of the championship. While Roczen successfully
withstood the treacherous and muddy conditions, no doubt taking
advantage of his experience racing in similar conditions in Europe en
route to a series-leading fifth overall win, Dungey faltered and endured
his worst performance of the 2014 season.
Dungey
nearly went down coming out of the gate in Moto 1, but was able to
recover from his early misfortune to fight his way back to second and
minimize the ground lost to his rookie teammate. With everything on the
line in Moto 2, Dungey got another bad start and found himself mired
outside the top 10 early. Despite his best efforts to make another climb
through the running order, the field simply was too spread out for the
former champion to make up the ground he needed, resulting in a
season-worst ninth-place finish but still landing him on the overall
podium in third.
When
all was said and done, Dungey had given up 13 points to Roczen and now
faces a 20-point deficit coming into Utah. While there is still a lot of
racing left over the course of two motos, Dungey and Roczen's approach
to the season finale is likely at different ends of the spectrum. For
Dungey, being in the chase means he must enter Miller Motorsports Park
with a winning mentality. A second 1-1 moto sweep this season is all
Dungey can do to try and erase Roczen's lead, while the German simply
needs to keep his KTM on two wheels based on his statistics this season.
Through 22 motos Roczen has finished no worse than fourth, doing so on
just two occasions. Should he patiently race his way to a pair of
fourth-place results on Saturday
afternoon, he will still secure the title no matter what his teammate
does, which surely adds to his confidence and security coming into Utah.
Canard is arguably the hottest rider in the series right now. Photo: Simon Cudby / Racer X
While all eyes will no doubt be on Roczen and Dungey on Saturday
afternoon, a pair of Honda riders could ultimately play the biggest
role in how this championship plays out. Both Team Honda Muscle Milk's
Trey Canard and GEICO Honda's Eli Tomac have stepped up to establish a
four-rider battle at the front of the 450 Class field. While Tomac has
one overall win to his credit, Canard has taken two of the last three
moto wins and appears to be hitting his stride at the right time. While
it will take more than Canard and Tomac's involvement to keep Roczen
from clinching his first career title, knowing that any one of these
elite contenders can emerge victorious at Miller Motorsports Park only
adds to the intrigue surrounding the championship and the level of
competition in the premier class.
As last year's inaugural 250 Class winner in Utah, Tomac hopes to wrap up 2014 with his second career 450 win.
Photo: Simon Cudby / Racer X
Arguably
the biggest breakout story of the 2014 season, Martin's
championship-clinching effort one week ago in Indiana was just another
piece to the impressive season-long effort he's amassed this summer. The
reigning Rookie of the Year was a dark horse for the title following an
up-and-down AMA Supercross season. However, since the opening round at
Glen Helen he's been the rider to beat each and every weekend and boasts
the rare distinction of leading the championship throughout the
entirety of the season, putting him in the elite company of the likes of
Ricky Carmichael, James Stewart and, most recently, Blake Baggett.
Martin will no doubt try to make the most of his first ride as champion. Photo: Simon Cudby / Racer X
Martin's
four wins are tops in the 250 Class and up until the second moto last
weekend, he had finished inside the top 10 in every single moto this
season, a feat no one else in the division could share. It's been a
dream season for the sophomore rider to say the least, including his
first ever win at the Martin's family-owned Spring Creek MX Park, and
the emergence of his teammate and fellow sophomore rider Cooper Webb as
his biggest rival has only added to the excitement in the 250 Class.
While
Martin will be able to savor his day at Utah as champion, his
Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha team will still be hard at work trying to
conclude its banner season with a 1-2 sweep for Martin and Webb.
Currently, Webb sits third in the championship standings and faces a
slim two-point deficit to Baggett and his Monster Energy/Pro
Circuit/Kawasaki in second. Last year at Miller Motorsports Park,
Baggett played the role of spoiler in the outcome of that championship
and he's more than ready to take on both Yamaha riders, if necessary, to
hold on to the runner-up spot in the points.
Webb wants nothing more than to make it a 1-2 sweep for Star Yamaha in 2014. Photo: Simon Cudby / Racer X
With
a year under its belt, Miller Motorsports Park has revamped its
motocross track, which sits on the infield of the facility's world-class
paved road racing course. Massive amounts of sand have
been brought in as an addition to the layout while many of the track's
obstacles have been redesigned to enhance the action on the track while
also making the overall experience more enjoyable for riders and fans
alike.
The championship atmosphere surrounding the Utah National began one
year ago at the inaugural event when both Ryan Villopoto and Eli Tomac
not only became the first ever winners at Miller Motorsports Park, but
also clinched their respective titles in the 450 Class and 250 Class.
Either Roczen or Dungey will continue that legacy on Saturday.
450 Class Championship Standings
- Ken Roczen, Germany, KTM, 494
- Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM, 474
- Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda, 418
- Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Kawasaki, 304
- Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda, 281
- Andrew Short, Colorado Springs, Colo., KTM, 278
- Weston Peick, Wildomar, Calif., Suzuki, 268
- Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha, 243
- James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Suzuki, 226
- Chad Reed, Australia, Kawasaki, 185
250 Class Championship Standings
- Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Yamaha, 450
- Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Kawasaki, 381
- Cooper Webb, Morehead City, N.C., Yamaha, 379
- Marvin Musquin, France, KTM, 374
- Christophe Pourcel, France, Yamaha, 355
- Justin Bogle, Cushing, Okla., Honda, 331
- Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., KTM, 270
- Cole Seely, Newbury Park, Calif., Honda, 244
- Jessy Nelson, Paso Robles, Calif., Honda, 238
- Dean Wilson, Scotland, Kawasaki, 204
- Alex Martin, Millville, Minnesota, Yamaha, 204
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