250 CLASS
MOTO 1
The first 250 moto of the year immediately took us back to last year’s opener as Geico Honda’s Eli TOmac jumped out front to win the holeshot and take the lead early in the race. Malcolm Stewart kept the Honda rider honest in the early laps but eventually the rookie faded, allowing Cole Seely, Blake Baggett, and Dean Wilson to get out in front of him and set their sights on the leader. Wilson found second place and put the pressure on Tomac, who soon gave up the lead to the Pro Circuit rider. Darryn Durham also looked good early on, and found a solid third place. Unfortunately, a lapper took his line away forcing Durham to lock up the brakes. He stalled out and fell back to tenth. Marvin Musquin quietly rode to a solid fourth place, while fellow former MX2 World Champ Tyla Rattray fell in behind him in fifth. Late in the moto, Baggett made a charge for Tomac and succeeded in taking second place away, giving Pro Circuit the one-two punch on the first moto podium.
1. Dean Wilson (Kaw)
2. Blake Baggett (Kaw)
3. Eli Tomac (Hon)
4. Marvin Musquin (KTM)
5. Tyla Rattray (Kaw)
6. Justin Barcia (Hon)
7. Cole Seely (Hon)
8. Kyle Cunningham (Yam)
9. Gareth Swanepoel (Yam)
10. Darryn Durham (Hon)
MOTO 2
It was another holeshot for the Geico Honda team in the second 250 moto, but this time it was Justin Barcia out front first. Rattray and Tomac fell in behind him and the battle started immediately. Bad luck found its way into the second turn for Musquin who found himself on the ground as the others took off down the track. The Frenchman, however, put in a valiant effort and made it back to sixth before the checkered flag came out.
Up front Rattray retained the lead for quite some time, but after Tomac surrendered his position to Rattray’s teammates Wilson and Baggett, Rattray had his hands full. Wilson made a charge first, but a fall on the upper south hill kept him from taking over the lead. Baggett, however, took it upon himself to chase down his South African teammate and made the pass late in the moto. In the end, the Pro Circuit team swept the podium in both the second moto and the overall. Tomac settled for fourth in his second visit to Hangtown, and Gareth Swanepoel rode to a respectable fifth in the second moto to help him secure sixth overall.
1. Blake Baggett (Kaw)
2. Tyla Rattray (Kaw)
3. Dean Wilson (Kaw)
4. Eli Tomac (Hon)
5. Gareth Swanepoel (Yam)
6. Marvin Musquin (KTM)
7. Broc Tickle (Kaw)
8. Kyle Cunningham (Yam)
9. Darryn Durham (Hon)
10. Nico Izzi (Hon)
OVERALL
1. Blake Baggett (2-1)
2. Dean Wilson (1-3)
3. Tyla Rattray (5-2)
4. Eli Tomac (3-4)
5. Marvin Musquin (4-6)
6. Gareth Swanepoel (9-5)
7. Kyle Cunningham (8-8)
8. Darryn Durham (10-9)
9. Broc Tickle (13-7)
10. Cole Seely (7-13)
TAGS: blake baggett, chad reed, hangtown 2011, motocross championship, Race Report, racing
