The Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GASGAS Factory Racing Team wrapped up a tough injury-plagued outdoor season at Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Indiana, with a goal of building momentum for the upcoming inaugural SuperMotocross playoffs.
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Despite missing nine races, Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GASGAS Factory Racing’s Justin Barcia goes into the playoff races in the tenth overall spot; while Pierce Brown is the 15th ranked 250 rider after missing seven races
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Justin Barcia had an 11-5 score at Ironman for seventh overall
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Pierce Brown’s 17-10 moto scores gave him 13th overall for the day
250 MX
After qualifying just outside the top ten of the talent-laden 250 class, Pierce Brown’s first moto got off to a rough start when he went down with a cluster of riders in the second turn. After remounting his MC 250F Factory Edition, he made his way back to 17th. In moto two, he got off to a better start and was 14th at the end of the first lap. From there, he picked off four riders, making his way to tenth at the finish.
Pierce Brown: “The first moto was a little bit rough. I got tangled up with some riders after the start which was unfortunate. I had to start from basically dead last, and was able to make it up to 17th. Not a good moto, but I was happy with my riding. In moto two it wasn’t a great start or a terrible start, but I was able to make some passes and ended up tenth. So, for how the last couple motos have been I’m pretty happy with how I rode in moto two and how it went so hopefully we’re building some momentum for the SuperMotocross rounds.»
450 MX
In his third race back since returning to action, Justin Barcia qualified tenth aboard his MC 450F Factory Edition on the fast and flowing Ironman circuit. Unfortunately, a crash early in moto one dropped him deep into the 40-rider pack. He salvaged what he could for the moto by charging his way back to 11th at the finish. In moto two, a much better start had him running in the top four, and he dropped one spot to finish fifth at the checkers.
Justin Barcia: “I had a tough first moto. I got into a little pile-up and came back to 11th. It definitely wasn’t happy with that. In the second moto, I had a decent start and rode really hard. I found some decent lines, had a good flow going, and ended up fifth. I was definitely happier with the second moto considering where I was at a couple weeks ago to now. Not bad, but I definitely have a lot of work to do. I’m looking forward to SuperMotocross and getting back to my winning self.”
Next Event (SuperMotocross Round 1): September 9, 2023 – zMax Dragway in Concord, N.C.
Results – 2023 AMA Pro Motocross Championship, Round 11
250 MX
1. Jo Shimoda (Kawasaki) 1-1; 2. Haiden Deegan (Yamaha) 2-3; 3. Tom Vialle (KTM) 3-4 … 13. Pierce Brown (GASGAS) 17-10; 23. Mark Fineis (GASGAS) 21-20; 27. Gage Linville (GASGAS) 24-27
450 MX
1. Jett Lawrence (Honda) 1-1; 2. Chase Sexton (Honda) 2-2; 3. Aaron Plessinger (KTM) 5-3… 7. Justin Barcia (GASGAS) 11-5; 15. Jose Butron (GASGAS) 39-11; 20. Romain Pape (GASGAS) 40-15; 42. Raimundo Trasolini (GASGAS) 35-DNS
Final Championship Standings
250 MX
1. Hunter Lawrence (Honda) 419 points; 2. Justin Cooper (Yamaha) 399 points; 3. Jo Shimoda (Honda) 393 points… 19. Pierce Brown (GASGAS) 76 points;30. Michael Mosiman (GASGAS) 20 points; 36. Tyson Johnson (GASGAS) 13 points; 45. Joel Rizzi (GASGAS) 3 points; 48. Mark Fineis (GASGAS) 2 point
450 MX
1. Jett Lawrence (Honda) 550 points; 2. Dylan Ferrandis (Yamaha) 399 points; 3. Aaron Plessinger (KTM) 386 points … 11. Jose Butron (GASGAS) 152 points; 14. Lorenzo Locurcio (GASGAS) 110 points; 17. Romain Pape (GASGAS) 90 points; 19. Justin Barcia (GASGAS) 67 points; 30. Chris Canning (GASGAS) 27 points; 53. Jacob Runkles (GASGAS) 4 points; 62. Cody Groves (GASGAS) 3 points; 70. Jakub Teresak (GASGAS) 1 point