First Qualifying Sessions

450 Class

Chase Sexton topped the first qualifying session with a 2:07.93. He was a half of a second faster than Jason Anderson who had a 2:08.44 and Hunter Lawrence was in third with a 2:08.94. Local Minnesota boy Cameron Skaalerud topped the B group with a 2:19.97.

250 Class

Last week’s 250 winner Chance Hymas topped the first qualify session with a 2:09.97, the only 250 rider to break into the 2:09s. Joey Savatgy was second and Haiden Deegan was third but had his best time pulled because he failed sound. His second best lap was still good enough for fifth.

Second Qualifying Sessions

450 Class

The track proved to be faster this session as right away Jason Anderson set a fast time of 2:06.56. Unfortunately, after being on a roll, he hit a downed bike on a blind hill and crashed. Banging up his bike in the process he was unable to finish the session. Hunter Lawrence was able to better his time from the first session as well as Justin Cooper in third. Chase Sexton, who slid out at one point was not able to better his time from the first session. If Anderson is able to recover from his crash, he may have something for the boys this afternoon as he was almost a second faster.

250 Class

At the beginning of qualifying session number two, Levi Kitchen was able to set a fast pace right away with a 2:08. 88. Just when it was looking like that time was going to stick, with only three minutes left on the clock Tom Vialle was able to better Kitchens time by over a second with a 2:07. 22. Vialle then turned a second lap that was faster than anyone else’s. Joey Savatgy qualified third, then Chance Hymas and Haiden Deegan in fifth. Julien Beaumer who missed RedBud due to a crash at Southwick is back this weekend and qualified eighth.

First Motos

450 Class

Switched things up today with the 450-class racing first. Hunter Lawrence pulled the holeshot followed by Red Bull KTM teammates Aaron Plessinger and Chase Sexton. By lap three Plessinger had closed in on Lawrence and the two yo-yoed with Plessinger closing in through the sand rollers and Lawrence opening it back up on the far side of the track. A couple of laps later though it was Sexton’s turn to turn up the heat as he got around Plessinger for second and began a charge on Lawrence. Meanwhile Jason Anderson was holding steady in fourth just off of the lead group. Each lap Sexton would triple through the sand rollers and pull up alongside of Lawrence but then Lawrence would double through the turn coming out of the rollers and open the gap back up. Each rider had areas where they are faster. With just over nine minutes left to go Sexton was able to make the pass going up Mt. Martin. Hunter initially put up a fight, but within a lap Sexton was able to open up a couple second lead. By the last lap Sexton had opened his lead to over 11 seconds. Lawrence was able to come through in second, then Plessinger, Anderson, and Justin Cooper in fifth. Christian Craig had his best moto so far this season in seventh.

250 Class

The first 250 moto was action packed, it was Haiden Deegan with the holeshot, rookie Casey Cochran in second followed by the two Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki riders Levi Kitchen and Ty Masterpool. After some first lap shuffling it was Deegan, Kitchen, Vialle, Cochran and Jo Shimoda fifth. Then only nine minutes in, Deegan fell in the turn before the finish handing the lead over to Kitchen, Vialle in second and Deegan third with Shimoda all over him. After opening up a bit of a lead, Kitchen also made a mistake in the turn before the finish and allowed Vialle to close back in. Half of a lap later Shimoda got around Deegan and closed in on Vialle. The next lap Jo was able to triple through the sand rollers just like Chase Sexton in the 450 class and pass Vialle, setting his sights on Kitchen in the lead. A few laps later Kitchen bobbled, and Shimoda pulled up alongside of him off the Chadapult and they stayed that close for over a lap until a lapper held up Shimoda at the bottom of hill slowing his moment. With only a minute left on the clock the top four were within four seconds of each other, Deegan coming on strong behind Vialle. But then two laps to go Vialle went around Shimoda and half of a lap later Deegan go him too, only for Shimoda to get him right back. Last lap Deegan was able to secure the pass in the same spot where Vialle passed Shimoda the lap before, in the left hander after the finish. At the checkers it was Kitchen getting his first moto win of the season followed closely by Vialle, Deegan and Shimoda. With four riders finishing within four seconds of each other, the second moto is bound to be exciting.

Second Motos

450 Class

Justin Cooper rocketed out of the gate to pull the holeshot with Hunter Lawrence in second and Jason Anderson third. Meanwhile Sexton was back in sixth. Seven minutes in Sexton, all warmed up, passed Dylan Ferrandis going down the hill before the finish and up-front Lawrence started pressuring Cooper for the lead. Sexton made quick work of Anderson for third to make it a three-rider battle for the lead, running one to two seconds faster a lap than the riders ahead of him. About halfway Lawrence passed Cooper before the finish and Sexton answered, not wanting to let Lawrence get away, by also passing Cooper in the sand rollers. So once again it was Hunter Lawrence leading with Sexton close behind, both riders gapping the rest of the field. Ten minutes to go Sexton made the pass heading into the sand rollers and had 1.7 seconds on him by the time they came out of the sand section. Five minutes to go, with only five minutes left on the clock, Sexton’s lead was over ten seconds. Justin Cooper closed back in on Hunter Lawrence but bobbled in the sand rollers and lost the tow. Once again Christian Craig put in a great ride for seventh. The rain came out with the white flag, cooling the riders off, but who knows how slippery the track will be for the final 250 moto. Sexton took the win, Lawrence second, Cooper third, Anderson fourth and Plessinger, who went down during the opening laps, rebounded for fifth. With this win, Sexton extended his points lead to 13 points over Hunter Lawrence. 

250 Class

After a lightning delay the 250 class finally took off and chaos ensued right away when Haiden Deegan went down in the first turn and a bunch of riders piled up behind him. Strangely, Chance Hymas who did not go down, pulled off and headed to the Alpinstars medical rig. Meanwhile back out-front rookie Casey Cochran leads with four seconds over Daxton Bennick. Tom Vialle was in position to make up championship points on Deegan and Hymas until he went down in the rollers while trying to get around Bennick. The mechanics area was a very busy place as many riders pulled in, Vialle to get new goggles and Shimoda to get a new front wheel due to a bent brake disk. Even though Deegan’s pipe was broken they instructed him to keep riding with it as it was not slowing him down too much, as he made his way to tenth only ten minutes into the moto.

Halfway to go Cochran had 4.7 seconds over Kitchen, Dillan Schwartz was in third and Max Anstie fourth. Though Anstie would make the pass into third shortly after about the same time Kitchen started closing in on Cochran. Nine minutes to go Kitchen pulled up alongside of Cochran on Mt. Martin but the rookie was able to block the pass at the top of the hill. Finally going down Mt. Martin Kitchen was able to get around Cochran for the lead. At the same time Vialle was back in the mechanics area and it looked like they were trying to fix his shifter. Deegan always strong at the end of the moto, was able to pass Schwartz and then a lap later Ryder DiFrancesco for fourth. In what should have been a bad race for Deegan, he was able to recover nicely while Hymas and Shimoda both DNF’ed and Vialle finished 15^th.

In the end it was Kitchen going 1-1 on the day and Cochran was able to come through in second and Anstie third.