Brett Metcalfe – Team Yoshimura Suzuki
Grade: B+

With the addition of Stewart, you’d have to argue that Metcalfe was left the forgotten man at Suzuki coming into Hangtown. However, his riding served as a reminder of the truly talented outdoors competitor we’ve come to know over the last two seasons.

Metcalfe and Stewart ran 1-2 for a good portion of the opening moto before Metty slowly began to fade. In the second moto, Metcalfe rode the same consistent race and ultimately tied both Alessi and Short in points.

While I think Metcalfe performed well, I did expect him to be that third member of the podium and consistently the third man in this championship. He looked slightly off of what he’s shown in the past, which is why I docked him a bit. Nevertheless, I’m sure Metcalfe will bounce back strong this weekend.

Broc Tickle – Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki
Grade: A

I think Tickle was the biggest surprise of the day at Hangtown. He and Pro Circuit’s first season in the premier class hasn’t gone as well as they might have hoped, but they showed consistent progress through Supercross and now into the Nationals.

Hangtown was the first outdoor race for both parties in the 450 Class, and like I said with Short, it presents an entirely new challenge. Tickle got solid starts in each moto and rode exceptionally well, beating out more experienced riders like Davi Millsaps, Jake Weimer and Josh Grant. I’m sure Broc and the team were excited by the performance and I’m curious to see how they build on it moving forward.

Justin Brayton – Team Honda Muscle Milk
Grade: C-

I know that Brayton had some issues in each moto at Hangtown, but he never appeared to be dialed. Brayton was only able to post the 20th-fastest lap in practice and, following a pair of tough starts in the motos, just didn’t move up a lot.

Based on how well he performed in Supercross, I think a lot of people expected Brayton to be a possible podium contender outdoors, or at least a fixture inside the top 10. However, he was never really a factor and it surely wasn’t the way he or the American Honda team wanted to open the season.

Regardless, I know Justin and the team went to work this week and will be back in Freestone ready to prove they belong up front.

250 Class

Blake Baggett – Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki
Grade: A+

If you can find a way to sweep the motos at the opening round, you deserve an A+ and Baggett did just that. To add to that impressiveness, Baggett made a last-lap pass on Ken Roczen to steal away the first moto win, which was just the pinnacle of an incredible overall moto effort from him.

Coming from behind always adds an extra element to a performance and after starting off strong, Baggett capitalized in Moto 2 and made life much easier on himself by starting up front and getting in the lead early.

We know Baggett is probably the fastest rider in the class, so the only question remains whether or not he can improve upon the lack of consistency that ultimately hurt him in the championship last season.

Justin Barcia – GEICO Honda
Grade: A

Barcia’s motocross career hasn’t quite compared to the success he’s experienced in Supercross, but he looks ready to turn that around this summer.

Barcia was the most consistent rider in the 250 Class at Hangtown and, although he wasn’t able to quite walk away with a moto win, he found himself out front in each moto and was a factor throughout.

We’re seeing a new Barcia in 2012 and I’m eager to see how it translates to the rest of the season.