James Stewart made a most impressive Yoshimura Suzuki debut, racking up a 1-1 in the Hangtown Classic to kick off the 2012 AMA Motocross season.
Media Release
|
Posted May 19, 2012
Sacramento, CA
The 250 Class was set to be a showcase of the rising stars of the sport with one of the most talented and accomplished fields in history. Baggett took advantage of the opportunity, posting a pair of impressive rides in the motos.
In Moto 1, Baggett placed himself into fifth on the opening lap and proceeded to gradually work his way forward. Out front, Red Bull KTM’s Ken Roczen, of Germany, and GEICO Honda’s Justin Barcia, of Monroe, N.Y., provided a compelling battle for the fans, pacing one another and trading positions throughout the moto. As they battled, Baggett closed the gap and made a last-lap pass on Roczen for the moto win.
In Moto 2, Baggett position himself behind early leader Barcia and set himself up for a definitive pass to seal the win. After a few laps, he worked past Barcia and pulled away for the remainder of the moto for another Hangtown victory.
“I couldn’t expect anything else,” said Baggett. “(Sweeping the motos) is beyond what I came in expecting to do. I just wanted to be on the box. Every weekend I don’t want to ask for too much. I want to be in the points one way or the other with two rounds to go. I couldn’t even tell you what was going on in the first moto. I honestly was just bouncing around. I knew in the second moto if I stayed on (Barcia’s) rear wheel I could make a pass. The opportunity came and I took advantage of it.”
In the Women’s Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, Rockstar Energy Racing Suzuki’s Jessica Patterson, of Tallahassee, Fla., relied on consistency to take the overall win, grabbing a pair of runner-up finishes to outlast Team Honda Muscle Milk’s Ashley Fiolek, of St. Augustine, Fla., in second (1-5) and Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil Honda’s Tarah Gieger, of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, in third (3-3).
The 2012 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship continues next week, with round two from Freestone Raceway in Wortham, Texas and the Freestone National on Saturday, May 26.